Not Alone
by LizzyLucky
Summary: On a seemingly regular day on Destiny's Bounty, Zane receives a troubling letter informing him of the death of his father. Things go awry as he struggles to re-discover what it is to have someone close to him die. Even more troubling, there's a piece of Dr Julien's will he's not even allowed to read, and everyone around him is acting suspicious. Is Zane truly alone after the death?
1. The News

Quick explanation, this is a one-shot request from a reviewer on my **Ninjago One-Shots Collection** called "Human - One-Shots Collection." Please, go check it out, especially if you like this story! Now, it was originally supposed to much shorter than it is, but it's 27 pages and going in Google docs, and since I like to post these stories on their own as well as in the collection, I figured, might as well just get it going on Fanfiction while I'm still working on it. I would tell you the basis of the story, but... Naw. You can discover for yourselves! Anyway, here's the first part! Enjoy!

-LizzyLucky

This… This wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to happen like this at _all_.

It started like a regular day. They all got up, ate breakfast, and went to the deck to train, as usual. They sparred with each other and used the equipment for a while. If it weren't a weekend, they would have left Destiny's Bounty and gone to Wu's new school to teach. And, as usual, after two hours of training, they were alerted to the mail's arrival. Their faithful and underpayed mailman had, once again, trecked across the city and several miles into the desert, carrying a stack of a few dozen envelopes for the ninja.

However, he carried one of the envelopes separately, and as he gave the Bounty's door a firm knocking, his expression became grim.

"Mail's here!" Nya opened the door, and called for the ninja. There was a * _thump*_ in the background, followed by the pounding of footsteps and a crash, what sounded like someone launching themself into a door, and then came the glorious view of five rowdy boys stumbling over each other in a race for the door Nya stood at.

The mailman held out the large stack of mail nervously and watched as the ninja grabbed handfuls of the paper until the pile was gone.

"Heh, thanks." Nya thanked.

"Sorry about them." She added apologetically.

"Eh, no worries. Hey, before I go though, I've got a specially addressed letter to Zane." The mailman held out the separate envelope he had, and, seeing as how Zane had already run off with the others, Nya took it.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you, again!"

The mailman nodded and smiled, turning as he waved his goodbye and walked back out into the snow. Nya closed the door and looked down at the letter. Very akin to Zane's personality, the envelope was silver, and had a snowflake design on the front. It didn't have a return address or name.

Walking down the hall, Nya looked back up and walked into the ninjas' shared room.

"Hey, Zane, one more letter for ya." She said, holding up said letter.

"What? Zane got extra fan-mail?" Jay exclaimed.

Each ninja was sat on the floor, sitting around each other in some form of a circle, and their mail already sorted into individual piles for each.

"Jay, you already have more fan-mail than most of us." Kai said pointedly. Jay's pile _was_ a little larger…

"Oh. Right. Heh."

"For me?" Zane asked curiously, standing up. He walked to Nya and calmly took the envelope from her. He studied it front and back, before opening it and pulling out the slip of paper from inside.

"Well, Zane? What's it say?" Jay asked, sitting up as tall as he could.

"I don't know." Zane said.

"Give him a sec, Jay. Jeez." Cole said, rolling his eyes. He picked up one of Jay's envelopes and slapped him in the arm with it.

"Ow…" Jay complained, feigning hurt. Kai snickered at their antics.

Zane had only just begun to read the letter, sitting down as he continued. The other ninja watched him eagerly.

Zane turned his head at the paper, as though responding to something in it. He creased his eyebrows, apparently confused. Then, his eyes widened.

"But he was…" He mumbled. As he read another line or so, his shoulders bounced upward slightly and he grasped onto the paper with both his hands. His expression became more alarmed than confused and his back went rigid.

"Zane? Is everything alright?" Kai asked. Zane shook his head quickly, as though waking himself from a trance, and looked up to Kai, who looked concerned.

"I-" Zane tried. He stopped himself and his arms slowly sank, the paper still held within their grasp.

Lloyd moved to tap Zane on the shoulder and ask what was wrong, but Zane flinched as he lifted his hand. Not giving anyone a chance to say more, Zane very suddenly stood up and ran out of the room.

"Zane!" Kai yelled after him. The remaining ninja stood up and ran out the door, each now just as alarmed as Zane had looked.

Nya moved to follow, but paused to turn around and pick up the dropped letter Zane had been reading.

" _Dearest Zane,_ " She read. " _We understand your connection with a "Dr. Julien," who has expressed his wishes for us to periodically inform you of his life events. Each letter has been personalized by Dr Julien and are as follows:  
_ " _Happy Birthday, Zane!"  
_ " _Update for your falcon."  
_ " _Treehouse cleanup."  
_ " _Celebration of return!"  
We have been instructed to hand down to you Dr. Julien's will at the time of his passing, and regret to inform you as such. The lab results conclude the origin of death to be a heart attack, as a result of old age and poor health condition in past years. As a surrogate family member to the White Ninja, we wish to hold both a private funeral and a public memorial in honor of Dr. Julien, should you chose to attend. We await your quick response and will respect your wishes in regards to the suggested events. As a concluding note, Dr. Julien's will has been included in the envelope addressed you, and we encourage you to read through it before presenting it to an official. We are sorry for your loss.  
Sincerely,  
The Ninjago City Council."_

As Nya finished reading, she lowered the page.

"Oh no. Zane…" She said quietly. Her heart had practically ripped in two.

Shaking her head quickly, the way Zane had done earlier, she gripped the paper and ran out of the room, dashing down the hallways and in the direction she'd heard the ninja running. She quickly wiped at her eye, the start to a tear she didn't want to fall as she ran. Half way down the hallway, she crashed into someone stepping out of a doorway.

"Woah!" She yelped, stumbling backwards and just barely keeping her balance. She caught the color white and immediately assumed she'd bumped into Zane. Looking up, she instead saw Sensei Wu.

"Sensei! Forgive me." She said, bowing her head respectfully.

"Is something wrong?" Wu asked, nodding his acknowledgement to her apology.

"Something is very wrong, Sensei. Zane-" She cut herself off, not sure how to continue. Was she intruding by reading the letter? Was she going too far by telling Sensei Wu?

"Zane, what?" Wu asked turning his head at her.

"Zane- I think Zane needs our help." She said quietly.

Wu, seeming to understand on some level, nodded and didn't prod. Turning around, he calmly walked down the hallway the direction Nya had been running.

The two made their way down the hallway, Nya more anxious than Wu, and eventually made it to the deck. There was no one there.

"Where'd they all go?" Nya asked, running out to the middle of the deck.

"Were they here?" Wu asked curiously, turning his head back and forth as he looked.

"Well… I didn't _see_ them here, but they were running in this direction. Maybe they went to the kitchen or something?" She pondered, creasing her brow in concentration.

Though he didn't say anything, Wu already had an idea of where they'd gone. If Zane was bothered by something, he often would go to the Birchwood forest. The ninja were likely to follow.

That and, well, the footprints in the snow were fairly indicative.

Without saying a word, Wu walked to the edge of the deck and turned around to watch Nya. She'd begun pacing and listing ideas to herself, working into a frenzy.

After a moment of pacing, she noticed Wu watching her and stopped, in the middle of counting on her fingers.

"Sensei?" She asked.

"Follow me, please." He said calmly.

Dropping her arms, Nya walked over to Wu as he jumped up on top of the rail and then down to the ground. Imitating his actions, she leapt to the ground beside him and finally caught sight of the footprints, a mental "Oh!" going off in her head. She trailed them with her eyes and saw them disappear into the Birchwood forest.

"The Birchwood forest?" She cocked her head, pointing.

"Yes. You implied that Zane was distressed, and he often retreats to the safety of his childhood home during such times."

"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense. Why didn't I think of that?" She facepalmed. Wu chuckled lightly.

As they began to walk down the trail of footprints, it started to lightly snow. Nya relaxed her shoulders and looked up into the sky, which was entirely white and gray. She grinned.

"I always liked the snow. It's so pretty and calming. Days like these are so nice for any kind of mood." She said euphorically.  
"Yet another reason Zane's element of ice fits him so well. Though ice and snow are not the same thing, they work hand in hand." Wu commented.

"Yeah. He's kind of like the snow. He's gentle and kind and just a pleasant person to be around."

"Agreed."

A moment of silence passed by and Nya's grin faded.

"I hope he's okay." She said sadly.

"What happened?" Wu asked. He had a very fatherly manner about him, something that, while he didn't always show it, became a key part of his personality, and a reason the other ninja had grown closer to him over the years. He and the ninja, and Nya, had really become like a family, and they cared for each other like it. They called each other brothers and sister.  
For the moment, Nya had frowned at his question, unsure how to answer.

"I don't know if it's my place to tell you. I already feel like I may have been intruding by reading through his letter." She said, placing a hand on her chin in thought.

"Understandable. But I cannot help Zane if I do not know what ails him." Wu said, looking at Nya. She thought for a moment, eyes scanning back and forth over something invisible, then nodding decisively.

"Okay." She said. "He received a letter earlier that- that said- That Dr. Julien passed away…" She trailed off uncomfortably and felt her heart lurch.

Wu remained silent and looked down at the ground as they walked.

"Oh, dear…" He said.

Interesting start, yeah? Hope you like it, stick around for the second chapter if you do! And tell me what you think!

Here's another note, too. In my one-shots collection, you can **request one-shots!** The rules? You have to request either by PMing me or leaving it in your review for the collection. NOT here, but in the collection itself! It's called "Human - One-Shots Collection." Go check it out, read and review the content in it, and leave a request! Please!

Anyway, see you next chapter!

-LizzyLucky


	2. Long Day

**The Mayor of Ninjago City** , you are like, my favorite person ever, right now. You've reviewed pretty much every single one of my Ninjago fics, and I wouldn't be surprised if you continued to do so for the up and coming fics! Love your OC, by the way. I'm sure Zane would agree. (=

Anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like it!

-LizzyLucky

"Zane, wait!" Kai called out, reaching a hand outward.

"Come back!" Jay cried.

"What happened?" Cole asked as they ran.

Zane had started running faster as he touched the snow outside the Destiny's Bounty. He huffed as he ran, but didn't slow down. The other ninja took off after him, trying to get him to slow down. What could have been in that letter to make Zane run off?

They'd been chasing him for almost 10 minutes now, he running deeper and deeping into the Birchwood forest. The other ninja had eventually realized that he was running toward his father's old treehouse.

Zane, being a nindroid and having a lot of experience in general, had run much faster and much longer than the others and had gotten quite far ahead of them.

As he saw the treehouse line up in his view, he looked behind him for the other ninja. He couldn't see any of them.

He might have slown down a bit had it been anything else, but seeing the old home only made him quicken his pace further.

"Father!" He called out as he approached. When he reached the door, he skid to a stop and pushed it open, rushing inside. That's when he slowed down.

The house was a mess. Not as bad as the first time he'd discovered it, thanks to a bit of help from the other ninja. When his father had come back to Ninjago, he went to live in the old home once more, and the ninja helped him to clean it up a bit.

Now, however, the house was dreary. It was unkempt and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Not a good sign.

"Father!" He called out again, looking over the edge of the railing. Looking down, there was no one he could see at the bottom. Leaving one hand on the railing, he ran down the steps, taking them two at a time.

When he reached the bottom, he stopped and had to suck in a breath of air. As bad as it was at the top, it was worse at the bottom. The dust was even more thickly layered. Aside from the dust, things were moderately well organized, but what drew Zane's attention was a desk with a single lamp on it. The lamp was on its side, the glass of the bulb shattered over a half-finished blueprint sketch. There was a pencil and several pieces of paper scattered on the floor by the desk, and the stool which once stood there had been knocked onto its back.

Taking a few steps forward, scenarios flashed through Zane's head. He looked at the desk and closed his eyes. The vision of the desk didn't disappear, and as he turned away, he could see his father moving a shaking arm quickly to grasp his shirt, knocking over the lamp as he did so.

Zane shook his head, trying to shake the image away. He opened his eyes again and watched a shadow of his father stagger backwards and knock the chair over, other arm dragging a pencil and several pages down with it.

"No!" He shouted defiantly. He hadn't seen what happened here. Who's to say it actually happened? There was no way!

Zane shook his head twice more, moving a hand to his forehead, as though the physical contact would slow his thoughts.

"No, no, no..." He repeated, voice growing both higher in pitch and softer with each "no." He walked over to the desk, studying it more thoroughly. The blueprints really were only half finished, and he couldn't tell what exactly it was supposed to be. Bending down, he picked up one of the pages on the floor. It had crease lines in it, as though it had been folded. There was writing on it, and as he moved to read it, he realized it was his own handwriting. It was a letter that _he_ had sent _Dr. Julien._ Looking at the other two pages on the ground, he realized one was also a letter he'd sent, but that the other was something else. He set down the page he held and picked that one up. This one was in Dr. Julien's handwriting. There were a few sentences, one unfinished. It was a letter addressed to Zane.

" _My dearest Zane,"_ It started. Every letter from Dr. Julien began this way.

" _I am pleased to hear your progress! I never programmed you with cooking skills, nor with such capacity for emotion, but it sounds like you've done just fine learning these things on your own. I also wanted to thank you and your friends for helping me with cleaning up this old treehouse. You did an excellent job! But that's not why I write this letter now. I have news: I would like t-"_

The letter cut off there. Where there should have, presumably, been an "o" was instead a squiggled line, very blotchy, then a large downward streak on the page.

Zane's eyes began to water. The image of Dr. Julien stumbling backward and dragging down these pages flashed across his mind once more, and Zane choked out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Dr. Julien had died thinking of him. His creator. His _father_. And what _was_ his only living relation. Zane was alone, now.

A short sob burst from his mouth, surprising him.

"He can't be- He can't be gone!"

But he was. Had he been sick? Injured? Did he have heart issues? Why didn't he tell Zane? Why wasn't there a warning?

Was there a warning? If there was, Dr. Julien would have recognized it.

"You promised you would tell me if anything like that ever happened..." He said quietly, almost accusingly.

"I could have saved you!" He mumbled, his hands shaking.

Suddenly, he didn't even feel sad anymore. He felt...

Angry.

Betrayed.

Dr. Julien _left_.

Not even caring if there was anyone there to see or hear him, he stood up and threw the page downward.

"How could you _leave_? Why didn't you _tell_ me? I could have _done_ something, I could have _helped_! You promised you would tell me! _You promised_! You _lied_ , and you _left_!" He shouted angrily, throwing his arms up. He kicked the chair with every accusation, and finished by kicking it so hard that it flew across the room and smashed into the wall, breaking one of the legs and leaving it a mess of several broken pieces on the floor.

He stopped and watched as the wood clattered, anger fading as quickly as it had come. He broke his father's chair. He broke it, one of the few things he felt he had left to hold on to now, and it seemed so overwhelming suddenly that he slid to the floor and felt himself go numb for a moment. Consumed by grief, he pulled his knees to his chest and struggled to hold in tears as he began to thoroughly realize that there was no denying Dr. Julien's death. Or the fact that he no longer had family.

"Zane! Augh, there you are!" Exclaimed a voice. Zane looked up and saw, standing at the entrance, Jay, looking over the edge. Kai stood behind him, huffing and puffing, hands on knees, and Cole and Lloyd trailed in just behind him.

"Whatcha doin' here?!" Cole asked between huffs of breath.

The four walked down the staircase, each becoming concerned as they noticed Zane's position.

Kai, noticing the messed up desk and chair, was the first to ask.

"What _happened_?"

Zane tried to answer but nothing came out of his mouth. He gawped for a moment, then shut his mouth again and hung his head. He couldn't even answer them properly.

"Zane, what's wrong? You can tell us." Cole said as gently as he could, taking a step forward and placing a hand on Zane's shoulder.

"You're not- you're not hurt, are you?" Kai asked worriedly.

"No." Zane answered quietly, finding his voice. Jay hunched his shoulders sadly upon hearing Zane's suddenly tired voice

Kai walked around Zane and looked at the desk, catching sight of the shattered glass of the bulb and the spilt papers, one of which was slightly crumpled.

"What was- What- How did-" He tried to say. He couldn't finish a sentence, as he began to realize what may have happened.

"Heart attack." Zane almost whispered. He choked on the words, tears threatening to spill as he uttered them.

"Zane..." Jay trailed sadly.

"He's... Gone?" Lloyd asked, walking and kneeling by Zane, who sucked in a breath of air.

Another voice near the top of the stairwell spoke up, drawing all the ninja's attention.

"He's gone." It said with finality.

There at the top stood Sensei Wu and Nya, both looking forlorn. They walked calmly down the steps, approaching Zane as they reached the bottom. Zane looked up to Wu with an almost pleading look, like he was hoping for the entire situation to be a dream, or just a really cruel joke.

Wu put a hand in front of Nya, stopping her. He took another step forward and knelt down directly in front of Zane, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"And he's not coming back."

The ninja each watched, heart-broken, as Zane finally broke and let a sob escape his mouth. A single tear fell with the sob, and Zane tried to wipe it away with the back of his hand. As the one was wiped away, two more slid down his cheeks and another muffled sob escaped his mouth. He tried, for a moment, to stop the sounds, and used both his hands to wipe away tears and cover his mouth. But the harder he tried to conceal himself, the harder he cried, until he got to the point of being unable to do anything but sob openly.

The usually calm, level-headed, composed-in-any-situation Zane became child like. It didn't matter that he was an android. He had interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, morals, emotions. Emotions which, like any regular person's, could be aggravated, encouraged, or hurt. And no matter what he was made of, he was just as human as the other ninja.

After Zane had had a good cry, surrounded by the ninja and his Sensei, he had actually fallen _asleep_. When he'd started crying, he was immediately surrounded and hugged by everyone in the room, each offering physical and emotional support as he allowed himself to depend fully on them. It had been perhaps an hour and a half before he calmed down enough to compose himself, at which point he had exhausted himself in more ways than one. His sobs died away and his tense body relaxed in his spot, where he fell limp into the arms of Wu.

Before they left, Zane was laid on an old couch at the side of the room and the ninja decided to tidy up the old treehouse one more time as a sort of respect to both Dr. Julien and Zane. The wooden chair was repaired, the broken glass cleaned up, light bulb replaced, tools and papers organized, and the entirety of the home dusted. It took them almost two hours, but the old home was left immaculate, with nothing but a few unfinished designs and written notes left on the old desk, never to be finished.

Even by that time, Zane had remained asleep, and the ninja agreed on simply carrying him home, rather than waking him. At that point, as mentioned, it had begun to get dark and no one had eaten lunch or dinner. By the time they reached the Bounty, it was late enough that no one could care less about whether or not they ate before going to bed, and so decided on simply doing the latter. Zane was taken to his bed, left in his ninja gi, where he slept peacefully for the rest of the night. Each ninja, as well as Nya and Sensei Wu, had retreated to their own beds and fell each into a dreamless sleep. Their day of goofing around, training, and announcing fan mail to each other had ended very differently than expected and left everyone drained of energy.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Aw, sorry Zane! I can be really mean when I try... Trust me, though, this isn't as bad as it gets. I have, I think, 7 or 8 parts already written, so I'll just add one new part to the fic every day unless I get super inspired to add another one sooner. Once I'm caught up with what's already written, and what I'm writing now that will be finished by the time I get to the point of posting my latest part (phew!), you guys will simply have to wait for me to finish writing at my own pace... Anyway, thanks for reading! See you tomorrow for the next part!

-LizzyLucky


	3. Just a Bad Dream

**The Mayor of Ninjago City** , I can't honestly get over the fact that I just happened to have posted a new chapter while you were online! I gushed so much upon realizing that I had a new read and review within 15 minutes of posting that last part, so you can consider me inspired! I thought I'd put an extra part tonight just for the heck of it. It'll speed up the time between now and some of the good stuff later in the story anyway. So here's a little treat for ya!

Oh, yeah, and for the other readers too... JK, JK, Hope you guys enjoy! Thanks!

-LizzyLucky

 _"Good morning, Zane!" A cheery voice announced itself. Zane was startled awake and sat up quickly, almost hitting his head on the upper bunk. He turned to the voice to see Kai, a large grin on his face._

 _"Morning?" He responded, still groggy enough that it sounded more like a question than a greeting._

 _"Are you ready to go?" Kai asked. As Zane turned to look at him again, he realized that the other ninja were there too. And Nya. And Sensei Wu._

 _"Ready to go? Where?" Zane asked curiously. He was confused._

 _"Oh, silly." Kai chuckled uncharacteristically. Then, in a much darker tone,_

 _"You have to leave."_

 _"But- But why? Was I supposed to retrieve something last night that I forgot about?" Zane sat up, rubbing the back of his neck._

 _"No. You just have to leave." Kai folded his arms, his expression becoming just as serious as his tone._

 _"Did I do something wrong?" Zane stood up, worried. Surprising him, and nearly pushing him back down to the mattress, Jay stepped forward and shoved a large bag into the Nindroid's arms._

 _"What?" Zane asked incredulously._

 _"He said leave." Jay growled at him. Zane's eyebrows shot up, his eyes widening in horror. He looked left, right, and behind, noticing that not one of his possessions was in sight._

 _"W-what?" He repeated shakily._

 _"As in go! Adios, robot!" Cole shouted harshly, shoving Zane into the ground. The ninja closed in on Zane, creating a tight circle as he picked himself up off the floor. Kai stood just in front of Zane, tall and menacing._

 _"Get out of the Destiny's Bounty, and don't come back." He said. Zane shivered. Kai had never sounded so threatening. The red ninja's voice rumbled low, coming out more gutteral._

 _"What did I- What did I do?" He asked, trying to grasp at the bag handed him._

 _"Nothing. You never did anything. You're useless to us, you homeless, orphaned machine." Kai replied angrily._

 _"M-machine? Orphaned? But I'm not- I didn't chose to-"_

 _"No, you didn't! And that's exactly it, isn't it? You didn't chose to be a robot. You didn't chose to let your father die. Or did you? You let him die. You knew you could have done something. You just didn't chose to. You can't chose to do anything, because you're a robot. You do what you're told to do." Kai said accusingly, taking a step forward._

 _"No... I don't... I wanted to save him, but he didn't- He couldn't- I'm not just a robot... I-"_

 _"Shut up! You're made of metal and wire and programming! You're a machine! And we don't need you!" Jay shouted._

 _Zane backed up a few steps, hugging his bag to his chest. He bumped into his bed and had to stop walking. The other ninja stepped toward him._

 _"That's enough!" Wu said loudly, stepping between the ninja. For a moment, Zane was relieved to see them broken away from him. But he frowned upon seeing the scowl on Wu's face._

 _"You will leave. Your creator died when you could have saved him. How do we know you won't leave helpless people to fend for themselves when they need you most? You're a mistake, Zane, and we can't risk lives on you."_

 _Zane nearly dropped his bag at how harsh Wu sounded._

 _"I-I'm not a mistake. Dr. Julien wasn't- h-he wasn't just m-my creator, he was my family! I tried, I really, really tried! P-please! I-I won't risk lives!" Zane pleaded desperately._

 _"No, Zane. He wasn't your family. You don't have family. You don't have family now, and you won't have family later. You never had family. Because you're just a pile of emotionless metal slapped together to look human. You never had a father, and we were never your brothers." Kai growled._

 _"Out!"_

 _"Leave!"_

 _"Shoo!"_

 _The ninja grabbed at Zane's gi, pulling him back and forth as they tried to push him toward the door. As he was yanked through the middle of the circle and thrown to the other side, he just barely managed to keep from falling over and grabbed the doorway to steady himself. Just as he had done so, his bag was thrown at his middle, knocking him down to the ground, bag landing on his lap._

 _Wu stepped forward from the group, looking surprisingly frightful standing above Zane._

 _"You won't be needing this anymore." He said simply, leaning down and grabbing hold of the gold badge on Zane's gi. With one fluid motion, he ripped the piece of metal out of the fabric and left Zane stunned. That emblem defined his element, as well as his place among the team._

 _Before Zane could even stand up, the rest of the group crowded up around him, ripping away small pieces of the once-pristine gi and kicking at him._

 _One kick to his leg. Another to his foot. Then one to his back._

 _That one hurt!_

 _A foot rammed into his chest, pushing him onto his back. He moved his arms over his head to protect it as various shoes began to kick and stomp unforgivingly at his chest and sides._

 _"No!" He cried out dejectedly._

 _"No, no, no!" He agonized. The word repeated itself as he went numb, closing his eyes tight, trying to flush the pain away._

"No!" He opened his eyes again, prepared to jump up and run.

Instead, his head hit something hard as he sat up.

"O-ow..." He muttered. The shouting stopped, and he realized that the only thing hurting was his head.

His vision finally clearing, Zane registered that... there was no one there. Everything was quiet. A warm light flooded the room. Looking around, he quickly noticed that none of the other ninja were in their beds. In addition, his belongings were all still in place.

"It was... A dream." He concluded. What time was it?

"Zane? Are you okay?" A worried Kai skid to a stop at the doorway.

"We heard shouting." He explained. Zane creased his eyebrows, still feeling flustered.

"I'm fine." He said. It was only part true. He was relieved the dream wasn't real, but that same dream had, at the same time, presented every single one of his fears to him in the most vivid way possible.

"You don't look fine. It's been a long few days." Kai responded.

"Just a bad dream." Zane stood up, recognizing that he had a hand up against his forehead.

"Did you hurt your head or something?" Kai asked, sounding half worried, and half amused.

"I hit it on the bunk. I'll be fine." Zane paused as he approached the bathroom.

"What time is it?" He asked, putting his hand down.

"Nearly 10:00." Kai answered. "Uh, in the morning! You didn't sleep _that_ long." He added, chuckling.

"Good to know." Zane said, smiling slightly.

"Hey, are you alright? From yesterday, I mean?" Kai asked.

"I don't know. It's a little bit hazy. I feel numb."

Kai couldn't honestly think of anything to say in response, so instead said,

"When you're ready, Cole made some waffles for breakfast. They're Eggo, by the way, so they can't be too bad..."

Zane smiled. Cole had indeed gained a reputation for not being the best cook. But, seeing as how these were toaster waffles, pre-made and cooked, he probably couldn't have messed them up.

As Kai left the room again, Zane walked up to their bathroom sink, looking in the mirror. He frowned.

 _'Homeless, orphaned machine!'_

The phrase from his dream echoed in his head. He flinched as it repeated itself. He knew he wasn't a machine. But homeless? Orphaned? Technically, he was orphaned. Before he first remembered his father, he had been sure he was orphaned his whole life. It was lonely, and sometimes he wondered about it, but... He'd learned to accept it. Especially as he met the other ninja, and Sensei Wu. So why did it hurt so much more now? To know that he was orphaned? He had no siblings. He'd never had a mother. Had he? He wished he could have asked his father, but now...

A single tear slid down his face. He'd never have that chance. His father was gone. His only family. The only family that he'd ever had...

' _No, Zane. He wasn't your family. You don't have family. You don't have family now, and you won't have family later. You never had family._ '

Why wouldn't it just leave him be?! This stupid dream! Wasn't it enough to know his father had died? To see the treehouse in a wreck? To find that half-written letter and know that Zane was the last thing Dr. Julien had been thinking of? Wasn't it enough?! Now this dream, now all these _horrible_ things he'd heard in the voices of his best friends? And they wouldn't leave him alone!

He looked into the mirror. He looked terrible. His eyes were dull, with bags underneath them. He had tear streaks on his face and his hair was dishevelled. He still wore his ninja gi, instead of his characteristic striped pajamas. He must have fallen asleep some time the day before.

"Perhaps some breakfast would do well." He muttered to himself.

He turned toward the door decisively, making his way toward the kitchen. He walked slowly in the halls, looking at pictures hung on the wall. Pictures of their whole group, or family pictures the ninja had brought with them. After all, they were all technically still just kids. Even in their late teens. Having things with them, ways to remember home, ways to remember their family. Except Zane, of course. Nya and Kai had a bit of trouble with that one, too. Neither of them could remember their parents very well, much less what might have happened to them. They still had each other, but they still had only a very few pictures from their childhood regardless. Zane had the one that he found in the treehouse that first day. He found it a bit strange now that he hadn't taken any more with Dr. Julien since freeing the aged tinkerer.

Bit of an odd place to end a part, but eh... Whatever. It works, doesn't it? Hope you enjoyed! Thanks!

-LizzyLucky


	4. Healing

Oh my goodness, I hope you guys like this one. I'm feelin' pretty good about it. I'm like super happy right now too because FFN fixed the updating issues and now people can see when I add new content. It makes me so happy!

-LizzyLucky

It had been nearly a week since Dr. Julien's death. Zane had felt both grieved and numb at the same time. He didn't know what to do with himself.

After two days, the funeral was held. Everyone occupying Destiny's Bounty had gone, as well as their families. Even Zane's falcon had shown up, which had been bittersweet for Zane. The falcon had been flying about Ninjago for a time, and Zand had almost entirely forgotten about him. The small robotic creature had a soft spot in Zane's heart, and had only grown more precious as Zane said his goodbyes.

The day after that was the public memorial. Zane had chosen not to attend. He would watch from their television set, but wouldn't go. It was endearing to see groups of people crowd around the City hall in honor of Dr. Julien, many sharing how much they respected the old man, both because of his contributions to science and justice, and because of how much he had meant to Zane.

Two days after that, Zane had finally cleared himself enough to read Dr. Julien's will. As most had expected, he had been left with rights to the treehouse, as well as to the work inside it. He could either sell or keep the inventions within. Zane, without question, had decided upon the latter. He had also been left a small, saved-up fund of near $1,000, which originally would have gone to a very expensive piece of machinery that Dr. Julien had wanted to tinker with.

As Zane had been surprised to discover, however, there was more than one piece of paper for the will. He'd read through the first and, at the very end of the page, saw that the second piece was meant for Wu, and that Zane was not to read it unless Wu decided otherwise.

Other things had been left for the ninja, such as little trinkets that Dr. Julien had made. He'd left portions of Juggernaut, who guarded the treehouse before Zane discovered it, and several blueprints for inventions he never got to put together, which he thought the ninja would enjoy putting together.

In the end, though, aside from the death itself, what bugged Zane the most was that there was something his father didn't trust to tell him. Wu had some extra piece of information and, despite Zane's pleas, had not been willing to tell Zane what was scribed on the aged piece of paper.

Zane had eventually given up on asking, however. It was consoling to see what kinds of things his father had built and designed, and he enjoyed spending time in the old treehouse following his father's death. At least, as much as he could with all that in mind. He couldn't think of anything that Wu's piece of the will could hold, and Wu seemed unmovable in telling Zane, so he instead distracted himself with other things. He would re-read old letters from Dr. Julien, bond with his falcon, or study his own old blueprints and their notes. He'd discovered a few very fascinating things, functions he didn't understand, parts he didn't know he had. For example, he apparently had a sensitivity dial hidden closer to the front of his lower left abdomen.

There were old journals explaining things like this, and he'd learned that Dr. Julien hadn't only built him for a companion and guardian. True, Dr. Julien had missed having a family, and was lonely with his trinkets and machines, so built Zane. In addition, the Birchwood forest could be very dangerous at times, so he needed a protection of sorts. But there were other things, too. Dr. Julien had come to decide that when he built Zane, he wanted to make him as human as possible. It had actually taken him a very long time to develop a proper method to create artificial intelligence, artificial emotion, and, for that matter, artificial pain.

It was explained in the journal that Dr. Julien had wanted to experiment with this area a bit, wanting to see how well pain could be tolerated, thus why Zane had a sensitivity dial. There were 10 different levels, going from least to most sensitive. Level one was supposed to be average sensitivity, and each level's number following was the number of times more sensitive Zane would become when they were set. As it turned out though, Dr. Julien had grown to love and care for Zane much more than he had planned for, and couldn't bring himself to continue with this experiment of sorts.

It would, however, explain some of Zane's earliest memories, in which things such as scraped knees and little cuts hurt immensely, and tickle fights were to the point of practically disabling him. (Though a little more reading proved that Dr. Julien had made him a bit extra ticklish anyway, just for the fun of it.)

Discovering these sorts of things, and reading this old journal, had been comforting to Zane. There were even notes directed to him throughout the old book which he hadn't been shown before. Fond memories, traits Zane had gained, encouraging and loving sayings. Reading them made it seem almost like Dr. Julien hadn't passed at all, and made not knowing Wu's part of the will just a little more bearable.

To go even further, the other ninja had been very supportive and delicate throughout the whole thing, always being extra sure to ask him how he was, that he got enough to eat, was resting properly. And as Zane began to recover, he also began to open up again, growing more eager each day to tell them the things he'd learned while he was at his father's treehouse. They'd even joked to repeat some of Dr. Julien's experiments, to which Zane shuddered. They would laugh and hug it out, becoming more light-hearted as Zane began to accept Dr. Julien's death.

But, even when things seemed to be going back to normal, Zane remained dissatisfied. Just knowing that he was technically orphaned now, that the father he had grown to know and grow close to was gone... Yes, he'd begun to accept the death, but he had no living relations. His falcon was the closest he would ever get again. And while he called the other ninja his brothers, it just wasn't the same. It wasn't helping that Wu wouldn't tell him that last piece of the will, either. He felt unfulfilled, and it still hurt.

Eventually, his visits to the treehouse became less frequent. He'd finished the journal, also bringing it back home, and had gone over just about every piece of machinery and blueprint in the old workshop. Now, he'd begun to run out of things to do.

After the defeat of the Overlord, Lloyd became known as the Golden Ninja, and had gained nationwide fame. He was constantly going to shows, giving speeches, accepting rewards, performing demonstrations, or working with his father. He was virtually never home. On the plus side, there was also no danger for him to deal with, unless you counted fangirls. (Honestly, girls, we really are pretty scary, huh?)

On the downside, it meant there was nothing to do. Ninjago city was safe and in the process of not only being rebuilt, but being majorly upgraded as well. The ninja watched as it became the picture of what they all imagined being the future. There were clean sources of fuel, automated history machines and guides, robotic workers for everything, hovering vehicles, magnetically charged street signs and stop lights. One of the most notable things was the one, massive, efficient power source, shared by absolutely everything electronic in Ninjago City. This combined with the fact that this fabled Overlord, the biggest, most powerful, most catastrophic villain Ninjago had ever seen being utterly defeated, made Ninjago the exact opposite of a target. All the bad guys had settled down. While this was very good news for Ninjago, making it safe and reliable for all its inhabitants, it meant the Ninja had absolutely nothing to do. They were unneeded in just about every way, though still praised loved by all the citizens. This is what led them to being teachers in Wu's new school.

Followed by, of course, the fateful arrival of that life-shattering letter from the City Council.

As a result, Zane now spent most of his time training. He didn't know what else to do with himself. It was always either working as a teacher, or training as a useless ninja. He'd done everything that could really have been done after Dr. Julien's death, and aside from cooking and training, he didn't really have any hobbies. There was always water meditation, but as the season began to grow cold, he found it harder to do so. Not that he couldn't, of course. He'd grown very skilled with working in cold water, but it was, indeed, more difficult, and most certainly not as safe for his health.

(Even though Zane's a Nindroid and his element is Ice, I still like to think that he has his own body heat and has to maintain a proper temperature...)

And so he trained harder. He'd virtually mastered every move he knew of, and continued to learn new ones, as well as make up his own. He became stronger, faster, and more focused. It was all well and good, but with no danger and no need for ninja, it didn't do him too much.

Either way, this is what he did. He'd worked into a routine of wake up, eat, teach, train, eat, reminisce, sleep, and repeat. Weekends were a little different, of course, where he wouldn't have to teach, and he would spend that extra time either training even more or re-reading Dr. Julien's old journal. It was only a matter of time before he had the book memorized, or hurt himself through over-exertion in training.

On one of these over-exerting weekends, he did just that. Naturally.

"And just _how_ did you sprain your ankle, again?" Nya repeated, still skeptical.

"The target board on the post was loose when I attempted to kick it. Resultantly, I had not rebounded as expected and I rolled my ankle upon landing on my feet." Zane explained. Nya shook her head.

"Only you could manage to do something like that, Zane." She said, a hint of humor in her voice. Zane smiled gently.

"I suppose so."

"Hold still, please. It's kinda hard to twist wires back into place if you won't stop moving."

"My apologies." Zane replied sheepishly, willing himself to keep still.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Nya looking up at him from the ground, where she was working on his ankle.

"It's not comfortable, but I'll live." He said from his spot on the couch.

"Okay. Just let me know if I'm being too rough. I'm not exactly a robot, but I can't imagine that twisting wires inside one's leg _would_ be comfortable. Especially not with the complex nerve system Dr. Julien created for you."

At the mention of his father, Zane's shoulders slumped slightly and his expression fell.

"Oh. Sorry. I guess I can forget how much of a delicate subject that still is." Nya apologized. She sounded guilty. Truth was, most of the nina had forgotten. It had been a good month since they'd found out.

"It's okay. I still miss him, but it is what it is. You cause no offense." Zane smiled reassuringly. Nya did the same.

After a moment of silence, she exclaimed, "There! No more broken wires! Now we just need to patch up the skin and keep you off that ankle for a few days. That's gotta be a plus to being a Nindroid. Healing doesn't take as long with minor injuries!" Nya chuckled lightheartedly.

"Minor ones, true. Thank you, Nya." Zane said respectfully.

"No problem. Just try not to make it anything more than minor next time. Actually, I'd be pretty pleased if you just didn't hurt yourself at all, next time!" She laughed. Zane chuckled.

"I'll do my best." He said with a grin.

"And I wouldn't expect any less!" She added enthusiastically. As she began to patch Zane's ankle back together, a roll of bandages on the floor and at the ready, her expression became more serious.

"Hey, Zane? If you ever, you know, need someone to talk to, you're welcome to come to me. I know it's not the same, but both my parents went missing when I was pretty little. To be honest, I don't think I was quite so close to either of them as you were to your father, but both Kai and I know what it's like to lost a parent."

Zane wasn't sure what to say. It was so kind of her, and it was actually starting to make him somewhat... emotional. This kind of reaction from him wasn't usually easily evoked, and he wasn't certain how to express such feelings. It was a little uncharacteristic.

"I... Thank you, Nya. I appreciate it and will keep that in mind." He said with genuity. Nya smiled warmly.

A few more minutes of silence passed, and Nya had managed to get the bandage wrapped securely around Zane's ankle, studying her work as she finished.

"Should be all ready to go! Just, not too fast. Or harsh. Actually, try not to walk on it tons. And maybe don't train till it's better!" She said, a pause between each sentence. Nya could really be a bit of a mother hen, sometimes.

"Don't worry, Nya! I will be cautious." Zane assured. As he stood up, thanking her yet again, he decided it would be best to simply rest for the day. With that in mind, he turned for the largest room in the Destiny's Bounty, filled with video games, books, movies, snacks, and, what was now occupying his thoughts, his falcon and his father's journal.

As he exited the room, he focused on his feet, watching to be sure he didn't step on his foot wrong and aggravate his sprain. He kept one hand on the wall, leaning on it heavily. But, seeing as how he wasn't looking where he was going, he pretty immediately bumped into someone already in the hallways. Looking up and uttering an apology without even thinking about it, he met the eyes of Sensei Wu, to which he began to apologize more excessively.

"Forgive me, I wasn't looking where I was going. I was just going to the- to find the other ninja, I wasn't paying any attention, Sensei. I didn't mean to-"

"Slow down, Zane. One apology is plenty. What have you done to your foot?" Wu asked, noticing the bandage.

"I sprained my ankle whilst training." Zane said simply.

"I see. Well, that's no good. I suggest you rest up, then."

"Yes, Sensei." Zane replied. He clasped both hands in a respectful gesture and bowed, but stumbled on his ankle as he stood without his arm against the wall to support him. Before he could trip or fall, Wu grabbed onto his upper arm with both hands, pulling him straight so he could put his hand back against the wall.

"Be careful, my student." Wu smiled sympathetically, and Zane sheepishly.

"Thank you." Zane said with a chuckle. As he began his slow walk down the hallway, testing his balance without the extra support, Wu decided to walk beside him.

"How are you persisting today?" He asked.

"I am doing better. I miss my father, but I am... Okay." Zane answered.

"Very good." Wu said delightedly. Zane looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't speak.

"What is troubling you?" Wu asked, noting this.

"There would be no point in asking you; you have already denied my request persistently."

"Ah. The last piece of Dr. Julien's will, I presume. You will have to forgive me. For now, at least, all I can tell you is that I have promised to keep this piece of information undisclosed to you until the time is time will become ripe, but not now. And I do intend on keeping my word." Wu explained.

"It is the most honorable thing to do. I just wish my father had trusted me enough to tell me himself. Not that it would matter now. It is impossible to ask him myself, considering that he is no longer here. Considering, that I don't... That I don't have a father, anymore." Zane said, turning his head away almost shamefully.

"Nonsense, Zane. Perhaps Dr. Julien has passed on, but that does not mean you no longer have a father. He will always remain so as long as we remember him. Dr. Julien will always be your father. And you still have the Ninja. They are your brothers. Nya, your sister. And I will always be your mentor. We are your family." Wu said, putting a hand on Zane's shoulders. He'd adjusted enough to his ankle now that he no longer leaned on the wall.

"But it's not the same thing. I care for each of you as such, and would call you family, but..." He trailed off.

"But none of us is a direct relation. Not by blood, nor law, nor, in your case, creation. We are all surrogates. Dr. Julien was your father. He was your family."

Zane nodded sadly. As they reached the end of the hall, he pushed open the door to the room he'd been seeking, and smiled slightly at Wu.

"Yes. And now that I do not have Dr. Julien, I feel as though I do not have family." He said with finality.

Before Wu could really respond, Zane turned around and walked into the room, not bothering to close or open farther the door. He sat down on a couch, and sighed, hunching his shoulders. It wasn't often he confided something like that in anyone, much less his Sensei. He'd grown to trust Wu, though. He trusted him differently than he trusted anyone else, and didn't feel quite so uncomfortable as he would with the other ninja. Still though, he felt it was more than enough to confess to someone in a day.

As he pulled out his father's journal once more, calling his falcon via wireless connection at the same time, Zane settled into the couch as comfortably as he could. Wu watched him, concern bubbling in his mind. He hadn't wanted to aggravate Zane, but he now held a very important bit of information. Like he had said, he intended on keeping his word. He was going to see Dr. Julien's plan through, and what Zane had just admitted had taken it a step closer to its end. The time was nearly ripe.

-LizzyLucky

Yay! Anyone getting excited yet?

-LizzyLucky


	5. Never Knew

Hiya, guys! I'm so pleased to see the update date updating, you have no idea. And I'm glad to see that this one-shot is fairly popular at the moment, so I hope you guys will stick around to see its end. Anyway, here's the next part, and I hope you enjoy it!

-LizzyLucky

"Hey Zane, what's up?" Jay greeted cheerfully, walking into the entertainment room. Zane had only been there an hour or so since he'd been talking to Sensei Wu.

"I'm just reading." He said dismissively, eyes never leaving the journal in his hands. His falcon sat comfortably on the back of the couch, perched so he could look over Zane's shoulder.

"Whatcha do to your ankle?" Jay asked, not liking the quiet.

"I sprained it while I was training."

"Bummer. Find anything new in there?" Jay sat on the couch beside Zane and craned his head slightly.

"I don't think I did. Though I suppose there could be hidden meanings, and there are plenty of things I have yet to tell you." Zane answered thoughtfully. He looked up a little, resting the book on his lap.

"Really?" Jay sat up eagerly and attentively. Zane chuckled a little at his enthusiasm.

"In one of my father's entries, it mentioned that I had another experimental function similar to the sensitivity dial I told you about. It was more of a lever though, if I recall correctly. The difference for this one was that the sensitivity affected me emotionally, and not physically." He explained.

"Fascinating! Did he ever use it?"

"Quite often. It was predominantly during the time in which he also tested with my physical sensitivity, but he didn't shut it off immediately as he did the other, because he knew it wouldn't have the same kind of effect."

"Makes sense. There are plenty of emotional pains, as I'm sure you've come to know, but I think the majority of us are most affected by sadness and happiness. As long as their for the right reasons, they're pretty quick to overcome." Jay speculated. He'd moved so he was cross-legged on the couch, leaning forward and with his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. As he spoke, though, he sat up a little more, and used his arms for exaggeration.

"Exactly. It did begin to get fairly irritating, though. Especially when he was using both sensitivity functions at once. Whenever I hurt myself, not only would it be unnecessarily painful, but it also became an over-the-top emotional situation. Though a bit embarrassing, I must admit that I did tend to cry a lot when the function was activated, which only made my irritation grow." Zane rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Ha ha! Man, I guess I can see that. Dr. Julien must have had his hands full."

The two went silent for a moment, both thinking distractedly. Zane was remembering what it was way back when, as he'd made a habit of, but Jay looked like he wanted to say something.

"Hey, Zane?" He asked after a moment. Zane looked at him, curiosity and comprehension showing in his expression.

"What was it like before you found out about Dr. Julien? When you couldn't remember him?" Jay asked slowly He seemed uncertain, like he was afraid he was pushing boundaries.

"Before I could remember? I... Don't know." Zane paused for a moment, putting a hand on his chin as he thought.

"I almost don't remember what it felt like. I can't remember all the way back to right after my switch was flipped. It was like... Like having amnesia, I suppose. Which makes sense, considering I had technically had my memories made inaccessible. I figured I must have had something happen to me when I was little. I thought that, maybe, I just couldn't remember being a child. And I assumed my parents had died, or gone missing, or that they couldn't keep me as a child and so gave me away or left me to fend for myself. I couldn't remember being under the care of anyone, ever, except for myself. I would roam from one village to another, and I always had the urge to take care of anyone who couldn't do so for themselves."

A memory flashed in Zane's mind, something he'd heard from his father multiple times.

 _'You were made to protect those who cannot protect themselves.'_

Zane sighed a little. Before Jay could tell him that it was okay and that he didn't have to keep going, he continued.

"I remember that when I was in the water, especially cold water, I felt both at peace and at war with myself. The outside world would be blurred, both visually and audibly. It always felt like I was on the verge of remembering something important, but I never could quite remember. I was drawn to the idea that I would be able to remember my childhood and my family if I could be at peace long enough in the water. If I could overcome the conflict in my mind. I was convinced that if I could just meditate long enough in a place that no one could disturb me, I would remember and I would feel settled. All I wanted to know was where I came from. It was oftentimes lonely, and I would feel abandoned and unloved. I wasn't disliked by those I met, but I wasn't necessarily liked either. People would get excited when I was prepared to attempt breaking a water meditation record, but would leave, unenthusiastically, when I finished, whether or not I'd been successful. And the more I tried to remember, the longer it took me to expand my meditation time and to overcome conflict with peace, the harder it got. The longer I had to wait, and the more I focused on this idea that water meditation would solve my problems, the more anxious I became to try and remember.

"I did eventually give up, though. When I could never break that point of almost remembering, I began to think it useless. So I simply focused on breaking my own record time and time again. I focused more on the meditation than anything. There was a day that I'd been in meditation, and wondering to myself what I was really meant to do. If I couldn't even remember where I'd come from, what was the point? I was questioning myself. But it was that day that I met Sensei Wu. He quite surprised me when I opened my eyes and took note of the fact that there had been another person sitting beside me. My first thought was that he looked at peace with himself, as I had been trying to be. He sat calmly. He didn't even look like he was trying. It fascinated me. What had me startled was when he poured his tea, which, no matter how I try to extend my logic parameters, makes no sense. And then he proceeded to drink out of the cup, which only served to confuse me further. It was that day I met you and Cole. Soon following, we met Kai, and then, of course, Nya. I suppose you should know the rest of story as well as I do."

As Zane finished his reminiscent background story, he turned his head back to his book. He didn't read it, but simply stared at it, still in thought. It was such a strange time, to have learned to accept that he didn't have a blood family, and that he'd taken the ninja as a surrogate family instead.

Jay had shifted onto his stomach, legs bent and resting on the armrest of the couch, whilst his head sat in his hands. He'd been listening to Zane intently, breathing in every word. He hadn't gotten around to what he really wanted to tell Zane though.

"Why do you ask?" Zane said suddenly, in response to the question he was answering. Jay stifled a laugh, Zane giving him a funny look. It was quite a long-winded answer, but Zane still seemed to remember why he'd been explaining his past and even kept in mind to ask why.

As Jay gathered himself, he said, "I was wondering about it. I just... I've had a family my whole life. Every second of memory was from a time when I had parens. Even now. They've been supportive and kind and loving... I never had to wonder where my next meal was coming from, or whether or not I'd be able to have decent clothing, or whether we could afford to have clean drinking water pumped to our house. Or even if I would have a house to live in. We weren't exactly rich, but I always had enough. Earlier today, though, it occurred to me that... That there was a time you never knew. I don't know if it was _that_ hard for you, but before you found out about your father, you said to us that you'd been an orphan your entire life. It finally dawned on me that you'd been without parents nearly your whole life, and I don't really think you'd accepted any of us as family until a good few months had passed. I just wanted to know what it was like, just a little bit, to not grow up the way I did."

Zane looked at him uncertainly before saying, "I share your... curiosity. I never thought about how you'd grown up so differently than I."

Jay smiled warmly.

"Aww, you guys!" An extra voice exclaimed. Zane and Jay both turned, utterly startled, to see Kai, Cole, and Lloyd sitting at the door, similar expressions of admiration and attentiveness to Jay's. Had they been there the whole time?

"WHAT?! Have you guys been eavesdropping _this whole TIME?!"_ Jay leapt up from his spot, throwing his arms into the air exasperatedly.

"You guys are _so_. RUDE!" He blurted out.

"H-how much did you hear?" Zane asked quietly. It wasn't that he didn't like the others hearing, he just preferred to know when there was more than one in his audience. Jay asked him specifically, so he poured out his gushy story on him, and _everyone_ was listening?

"All the way back to _'What was it like before you found out about Dr. Julien?_ '" Kai said, imitating Jay's voice.

"I don't sound like that!" Jay complained.

"Oh, shut up, you totally do." Cole said. The three eavesdroppers stood up and walked in, not giving Jay, who huffed and folded his arms, a chance to argue.

"Did you really grow up like that?" Kai asked.

"Yeah. It's not as bad as it could have been, though." Zane answered nonchalantly.

"Naw, maybe not, but I never knew you thought about that sort of thing so often. I always saw you as calm and collected." Cole commented.

"I suppose I'm fairly skilled in making myself appear so." Zane mused. The group chuckled.

From the doorway, Wu stood watching. The group continued to chatter on, and he smiled contentedly. He would continue to hold a fondness for every one of the adolescents stood in the room before him. And he was glad to see Zane getting better.

By now, it was only a matter of days before he would be ready.

"Eavesdropping, are we?" A voice near him spoke. Wu turned around.

"Misako." He greeted.

"Don't worry; me too." She chuckled lightly.

"I am pleased to see their admiration for each other grow, especially as Zane continues to get better."

"I would have to agree. Have you told Zane about your piece of the will, yet?" She asked. Wu sighed, sounding almost disappointed.

"No, not yet. Very soon, though." He answered, turning around and away from the door. Misako followed.

"You sound worried." She pointed out.

"I am. Dr. Julien wanted me to go through with this, but I cannot determine whether Zane will react positively or not." He replied, stroking his beard as he thought.

"Maybe not, but if his father believes it is best for him, the only thing you can do is carry out this plan and see what happens." Misako said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course. Thank you, Misako." Wu smiled gratefully."Anytime, Wu. Zane means just as much to me as he does to any of the others. And even the wise, old Master Wu needs encouragement from time to time." She smiled in return. Wu simply nodded his agreement.

-LizzyLucky

Cute, huh? Part of the request for this one-shot was to have family bonding, so there's a good bit between the ninja. At least, I hope it's good. I'm not saying I'm bad at writing or anything, but I will always be a little bit uncertain, and it's hard not to base your own skill off of what other people think, which is why I get so excited when I see positive reviews. If I get enough reviews in a short amount of times, I may even upload chapters sooner than originally intended, so...

-LizzyLucky


	6. Stories Told

Hiya, everybody! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's more of a filler, fairly short, but I hope it'll do until you can see the next chapter. It's just kind of my idea of the other ninjas' family lives and how they deal with it, and then all the ways I can see those stories connect to Zane's.

-LizzyLuckyAs another week passed, Zane and the other ninja had each had their chance to bond with the other, bringing them all closer as a whole. And Zane himself was finally becoming able to cope with the loss of his father.

At one point, Nya and Kai had spent some time with him, showing him how they coped with growing up without parents, and still managed to run a blacksmith shop. Being that there were two of them, Kai, the elder, took role of parent and watched after Nya from the moment he realized that they were alone.

"We were just playing one day, while our parents were working. I don't know what happened, but at one point, they were just... gone." Kai explained.

Nya had never thought of him as a parent, but most certainly an older brother. She'd gained the mindset that older brothers just came that way. Kai spent every day pouring over his father's books and designs, teaching himself, and, eventually, Nya, how to blacksmith. Growing up, they'd burnt themselves plenty, as you can imagine, but did actually figure out how to create tools and weapons. When they were still little, the town's people took pity on them and were pretty constant in making sure they had food and clothing to keep them going. As they got to be old enough to create and repair tools, selling them for decent prices even, Kai took charge of budgeting and became the one making sure they always had enough. It hadn't even really occurred to Nya for the longest time that she might not have a home or food to eat if it weren't for her brother.

Kai had even taken it upon himself to do all the little in betweens, kissing scrapes better, tucking his sister in for bedtime, buying her toys from time to time. For Nya, who didn't know her parents very well at all, she hadn't missed too much of what it was to have a parent. Kai, however, had. The difference was that his parents had left a fully functioning shop which he learned to utilize, placed in the middle of the friendliest villages in the whole of Ninjago. He'd learned to make a spot for he and his sister growing up without parents, but Zane hadn't.

Then Jay, of course, had already related his story to him. He'd always had both his parents. He'd always had one home. He'd always had everything that he truly needed in life, and it was always enough for him. It made him humble. The only thing he ever wondered about, except for the cool toys they couldn't afford when he was little, was what it was like not to have that kind of comfort, which he learned from Zane.

Cole, though, had almost an entirely different story. It was similar, in many ways, but almost the exact opposite, too.

Thing was, when Cole was little, his mother had passed away, rather than his father. He grew up somewhere in between. They had a nice home and more than enough food for their little family of two. His father, a different kind of "Blacksmith," had made a name for himself. He and the rest of his group, the Royal Blacksmiths, constantly had shows they performed at. So, despite the attention from his father, and the wealthy amount of schooling and good living conditions, Cole was often left home alone.

His father was rather a good guy, but didn't really know how to be the same kind of affectionate parent that most had. Firm, back-breaking hugs were about as close as he got. He was a right-jolly guy, too, and payed for any kind of classes Cole wanted to take, dance being the only one he enforced. Cole'd grown up more rugged because he never had the same kind of comfort from his father. "Goodnight"s were rather brief and meals were lonesome. It was a bit of a strange relationship he had with his father, but not necessarily a bad one.

In the way that they were similar, both Cole and Zane had never known their mothers, Zane still unsure as to whether he ever even had one. What made it different was how Zane had thought he'd grown up alone. When he'd first been activated, his father was encouraging and kind and affectionate. When his memory had been flipped he'd thought he was alone, simply roaming from one place to the next, as he'd explained to Jay. It wasn't quite the same, but Zane was glad to know that Cole understood what it was like to have a father, but feel alone at the same time.

It took him long enough, but at this point, Zane had nearly forgotten about the piece of the will that Wu had. And he'd finally learned not to care anymore. If his father had something he didn't want Zane to know, he had to respect that.

Little did he know, that was _exactly_ what Wu was waiting for. Rather, that was what _Dr. Julien_ was having Wu wait for. It may not have been completely necessary to wait so long, and it likely wouldn't have quite the same effect that Dr. Julien had wanted at this point, but regardless, that's what was going to happen.

Wu himself had actually been unsure of this plan, but Dr. Julien seemed to have had this planned for a long time.

And that had to be good enough.

-LizzyLucky

Cute, yeah? To be honest, I'm a huge die-hard to the more blatant facts in Ninjago, like Misako being Garmaddon's wife rather than Wu's, despite the fact that Garmaddon basically cheated into getting her love, and Wu still holds feelings for her. In ways, I do ship Wu and Misako, but like I said, I'm a die hard, and though I'm fine with, and even supportive of, all the moments between Wu and Misako, I think I will always ship Lloyd's mother with Garmaddon.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the kind of bonding I put between the two older members of Destiny's Bounty, and I hope my interpretation of the ninjas' backstories did well. Thanks for reading guys! Tell me what you think!

-LizzyLucky


	7. Morning, Zane!

Ick, this one's gotta be as short as, if not shorter than, the last chapter. But it introduces more into the story, so it's an important little thing. Hope you enjoy it!

-LizzyLucky

A few more days more passed and it had officially been two months since Dr. Julien's death. Or, at least, since the announcement of his death. If he really thought about it, Zane actually didn't know if he'd died in the same day that the announcement was made. It was an odd thought, but after this time, he'd learned to overcome the grief that came with those kinds of occurrences.

These were the kinds of thoughts that passed his mind as he awoke one morning, thankfully a weekend. As life went on, he had to continue being a teacher in Wu's school, though the world of crime seemed to take pity on him, as being a teacher was the _only_ other responsibility expected of him up until he could start functioning more clearly again.

"Morning, Zane!" Kai greeted cheerfully, peeking his head over the edge of the top bunk. Zane almost flinched, remembering his dream.

 _But this isn't a dream, and Kai means no harm._ He reminded himself.

"Good morning, Kai." He replied after a moment. Kai chuckled and jumped down to the floor.

"How's that sprain doing?" He asked casually as he walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Standing up, Zane turned around and grabbed onto the corners of his bedsheets to straighten them out.

"It has almost no effect anymore. I believe it would be safe to remove the bandage later today." He answered, moving his pillow to the side as he fixed his blanket.

"That's great!" Kai exclaimed cheerfully. Zane smiled gratefully. It wasn't really a big deal, but he appreciated the notion. These little things the other ninja came up with throughout the day to check on him really helped.

After a few seconds of silence, aside from the shuffling of fabric and running of the sink, Kai suddenly cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh, Zane?" He asked, almost nervously. Zane hummed in response, indicating he was listening.

"You think you'd be up to a picnic later?" Zane almost stopped what he was doing. It wasn't all that odd of a question, and he'd gotten pretty used to the questions directed to him starting with 'think you'd be up to,' but it seemed a little bit out of the blue. And, based on Kai's skeptical tone of voice, it probably was. Something about it was just... strange. But not strange enough, nor taxing enough, to turn down.

"I suppose so. Where will we be going?" He asked curiously, as he finished with his bed.

"Erm... I don't know. You'll have to ask Sensei." Kai answered, suddenly sounding just as curious as Zane.

"Hm. Alright. Where has everyone else gone?" Zane stretched out a bit, grabbing his own toothbrush from a bag in his dresser before turning toward the bathroom as well.

"They're already up. You seemed really tired last night, so we let you sleep in a bit. Cole's in charge of breakfast today. And wouldn't you believe it, it's actually _edible._ " Kai explained, chuckling at his own joke. Zane smiled amusedly. As he took his spot next to Kai, he paused.

"How did you know? Didn't you only just wake up?" He asked, this time it being his turn to sound skeptical.

Kai choked. The scrubbing motion of his hand as he brushed his teeth stopped abruptly and he started coughing, a look of horror written on his face.

"Erm, heh- Uh... It was... I- Heh-" He stuttered for a moment. He rinsed briefly with a cup of water before coughing and turning to look at Zane, a look of both confidence and uneasiness making itself clear in both his voice and his stance. Then, with more confidence than he obviously had, he said,

"After I ate breakfast, I came back in here to take a nap. See, when you woke up, it woke me, and I figured I best get up..."

Zane eyed him up and down, not really believing him. And now that he thought about it, Kai was even already dressed for the day. Had he been... _waiting_ for him? And if he thought about it more, he realized that Kai didn't generally brush his teeth until _after_ he'd eaten in the morning, quite unlike most the other ninja, Zane included.

Instead of commenting on it, he simply shrugged and went on to brush his teeth. Kai let out a quiet sigh of relief, which didn't go unnoticed. As Kai had suggested earlier, he'd have to ask Sensei Wu.

-LizzyLucky

See? What'd I tell ya? Short little bugger, innit? Still, though, important. I hope you guys like it, because the next few chapters... Well, let's just say you're in for a doozy. Thanks for reading!

-LizzyLucky


	8. Well Fed and Relaxed

Ooh, this one sets up the most intense, angsty, and hopefully surprising part of the story. Honestly, I'm getting way more into this thing than I initially thought. I have to add this one-shot to my one-shots collection ( **which you can find on the site, by the way, named "Human - One-Shots Collection"** ) when it's finished, and it was originally supposed to be much shorter than this. We see how that's turning out, as it's 31 pages on Google Docs and going... Anyway, this is the final setup chapter for the true pique of the story, and I've gotta tell ya, I am SOOOO excited for you guys to see it. Just as nervous, admittedly, but crazyyyy ecstatic! It was probably my favorite part to write, which is ironic since it's so cruel... Eventually, if you haven't already, you will learn that authors are mean to their favorite characters.

-LizzyLucky

Zane walked into the dining room, dressed for the day and teeth brushed.

"Mornin', Zane!" Jay waved energetically as he closed the door behind him.

"Good morning, Jay." Zane answered, smiling broadly. He was actually feeling remarkably cheerful today.

"Oh-hoa, looks like _someone's_ in a good mood!" Cole commented, laughing a little from his spot at the table. A stack of simple pancakes sat on a cooling tray in front of him. They smelled delicious, and, to everyone's amusement, Cole was even wearing the silly, frilly, pink apron from the kitchen. (Just imagine, fangirls...)

"I suppose I am. I'm feeling much better today." Zane replied, grin unfaltering.

"Ah, Zane, you're up!" Wu exclaimed from behind the group. Zane turned to see Wu enter the room, then nodded his head toward the elderly man in a respectful manner.

"I am glad to see you're feeling better today, if I presume correctly." Wu smiled warmly.

"You do. I'm feeling remarkably refreshed." Zane said simply, gesturing with his hands to the room around him.

"Have you eaten, yet?" Wu crossed his hands behind his back in a more thoughtful posture. His expression had become almost worried.

"No. But I was intending on doing so." Zane said. He looked oddly at Wu, unsure as to the sudden change in mood.

"Ah. Good. Very good. Please do so." Without another word, or time left for Zane to say anything about it, Wu turned around and left the room, his expression becoming even more grim. He looked like he was anticipating something, but not something good. And he didn't seem to want anyone to see his concern.

"Did something happen?" Zane asked, turning back to the table. "Is Sensei alright?" He was surprised to see similar expressions of confusion around the rest of the room. Each held not only confusion, but just a touch of guilt. It left Zane with the feeling that there was something they were hiding from him, especially when none of them could seem to come up with a proper excuse.

"Is there something I don't know?" He asked. What was it that they couldn't trust him with? He couldn't recall this happening before, except for a surprise party they'd put together for his birthday a good number of months before. And even then, he'd never felt quite so... left out about it. It hadn't happened with anyone he knew, really. Not them, not any of the minimal friends he'd made traveling from town to town, not Sensei Wu. So why did it feel so...

Familiar?

Was that the right word?

Yes. Definitely. It _had_ happened before, but when? They were keeping _something_ from him, and he just couldn't pin down what it was. And he couldn't figure out when exactly before he'd had something kept from him.

Why did it _hurt_ so much?! _Urg_ , now he was just confused! What couldn't they trust him with? It couldn't be another surprise party. They wouldn't do that two years in a row, and his birthday was still a few months off anyway. And none of their birthdays was coming up, either. Heck, even if one had, they would tell him about whatever they were planning.

Why couldn't they trust him?! Did he do something wrong?

As his thoughts started racing, he creased his eyebrows frustratedly. This was a _bad_ kind of familiar.

And suddenly, he knew it. His mouth opened a little and his shoulders slacked, his arms falling limp at his sides.

He'd nearly forgotten by now. But it was just like when he'd discovered there was something in Dr. Julien's will that he wasn't allowed to know. He thought he'd finally gotten over that.

But it hurt so _much_ now.

"Zane? You alright, buddy?" Kai surprised him, stepping in through the door just behind Zane. Zane jumped a little bit and blinked a few times before simply leaving the room. He'd lost his appetite.

"Zane!" Kai called after him as he walked away from the dining room and towards their shared bedroom, without even thinking about it.

There was a pretty extreme _Déjà vu_ about all of this. And it set off all the _wrong_ things. Even though he'd begun to heal from the loss of his father, it felt just the same, _all over again_. A wave of negative emotion hit him, almost physically, as he felt a near repeat of the day he read that letter.

It was the same thing... All over again...

He'd woken up, on a weekend, in a spectacularly _good_ mood. The positive atmosphere of a room, in which he sat with all his friends, became something else entirely as he realized something that hurt him and he was so unaware of _how_ he was supposed to react to it that he _didn't._ He couldn't talk, so he walked out and went to the first place that popped into his head.

The first time it happened, he ran, _sprinted_ , all the way to the treehouse in the Birchwood forest. This time, he was aiming for his room. But he didn't make it quite that far.

"Zane, hold up!" Kai called, he and the other ninja running out to help. Zane had stopped himself right at the edge of the deck. Simply stood there, staring down at the ground, covered in melting snow and ice. He was gripping the deck hard enough that his knuckles had gone white.

"Are you alright?" Kai placed a hand on Zane's shoulder, squeezing it gently in an attempt to get his attention. When Zane didn't say anything, eyes darting back and forth as he mumbled something to himself, Kai grabbed onto his other shoulder and pulled him around to face his direction.

"What?" Zane asked confusedly, eyes widening. Kai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't _do_ that!" He cried out, leaning forward somewhat.

"I'm sorry." Zane said. He felt... small. Was that even a thing?

"We were worried! Are you alright?" Kai all but demanded. The others crowded around him with similar expressions of concern.

"I-" Zane started. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"Here, let's just get you some breakfast." Kai stood up straight and gestured back to the dining room. Lloyd moved to Zane's other side and each put one of their hands on the Nindroid's back, pushing him gently forwaryd. Zane didn't say anything, but simply walked with them, unsure of how he felt at all anymore.

"I'm not hungry. I need to talk to Sensei." He said monotonously, struggling to turn around. Jay jumped in where he was trying to turn and blocked the way. As Zane turned to go the other direction, he realized Cole had done the same thing. He was blocked in, on a path straight to the dining room.

"Uh, sorry, Zane! Sensei said you had to eat breakfast before anything else this morning!" Jay said, doing his best to sound upbeat. Why was it so important that he eat? They hadn't done something to his food, had they?

"I promise it's not poisoned!" Cole added with a nervous chuckle, as if he could read Zane's thoughts. Sighing, Zane trudged along, not quite sure what to think of the situation.

"Don't worry, Zane. They're just worried because you were up so late last night. Wu had actually wanted to talk to you about something today, but he suggested you rest and eat first. I think they're just being a bit overprotective after everything that's happened." Nya explained sympathetically. Zane relaxed at this, his head clearing a bit. Though he still felt a little bit on edge, he walked more willingly, breathing out as though he'd been holding his breath. Each body around him relaxed visibly, though Zane hadn't noticed.

They managed to get Zane to the dining room, and he ended up eating enough pancakes to last him a week.

Following breakfast, they absolutely _insisted_ on him playing video games with them, something they hadn't done together in a couple of weeks. After that, they had him re-go over his father's journal, each listening to him re-read it contentedly. _Then_ they dragged him into the kitchen to help make sandwiches for the picnic Kai had mentioned that morning.

It seemed so strange, at first, that they wanted him to do all these things. Most the time, they were off doing their own things. Training, playing video games, reading comic books, just whatever it was they liked doing. On occasion, they would do things two or three people together, and they were constantly passing each other and doing daily training sessions altogether besides, but to do so many things together in one day was... strange. Even if he'd had a rough morning, Zane had recovered enough that he didn't think they would put so much effort into making sure he had proper company.

By the time they were ready for the picnic, however, he'd forgotten about how strange it seemed. Honestly, he'd begun to enjoy the day. He was still a little jittery from that morning, but he enjoyed his time with his brothers. Uh, and sister.

Thing was, that was the point. It wasn't that the ninja didn't like spending time with Zane, even altogether like this, but these different activities were very much on purpose. They were planned, and Zane was well fed and relaxed for a reason.

The picnic, as you may or may not have guessed, also had a very definite purpose. And as well as the day had been going so far, Zane was in for a surprise. Not necessarily bad, but not good, either.

-LizzyLucky

SUSPICION!

Dun dun duuunnnnn!

Man, I love the drama and angst so much. How'd you guys get hooked onto such a story? It must be good.

-LizzyLucky


	9. Forgive Me

Here's where the turning point of the story takes place. Did anyone stick around long enough to find out what's going on? I hope so!

-LizzyLucky

"Hurry up, Zane!"

"Yeah, don't want to keep Sensei waiting!"

Zane chuckled at the antics of his brothers. Jay had grabbed onto Zane's arm, much like a child, and gently pulled him along, a goofy smile adorning his face. Kai had grabbed onto their picnic basket, which really just looked like a stereotyped basket you would see in the movies, and carried it along as the ninja stumbled over each other in an energetic race for end of the path.

As spring began settling in, green grass and bright pink cherry blossoms surrounded the dirt trail which the ninja and their Sensei travelled on. It was a few miles long, starting at the far edge of the park in the outskirts of Ninjago city, leading to a small meadow-like area in which the group had planned to picnic.

"Settled, guys! It's just a picnic. I don't think we're really in all that much of a rush." Nya commented, though hiding a giggle herself.

"Eh, whatever. We're taking a day off, who says we can't be a little crazy?" Cole said from beside Nya. He wasn't quite so energetic as the other ninja, instead choosing to walk beside Nya, Wu, and Zane, but was enjoying the overall goofiness of the situation regardless.

It was a bit like when they'd first met as a group, Zane decided. Maybe not the first time, but when they were walking side by side, telling each others' stories on how they'd met Sensei Wu and become ninja. They were messing around plenty, but still took their work seriously.

"Where has your mind wandered to, Zane?" Wu asked suddenly. It sounded like an odd question until you considered the fact that Zane had completed dazed off. He had been feeling kind of tired.

"I was just thinking." He answered.

"What about?" Jay asked, turning on his heal and slowing down so he could walk beside Zane.

"About when we met and how we used to bond when we didn't know each other well." Zane replied honestly. He smiled, remembering all over again what it felt like to meet and bond with his brothers.

"Oh! I remember! Like, when we were still looking for the golden weapons?" Jay asked enthusiastically. Zane chuckled.

"The very same." He said.

"Ha! Yes! Hey, remember all the different ways we met Sensei?" Jay continued.

"How could we forget?" Kai almost rolled his eyes, slowing down to walk with the rest of the group.

"I'll still never be able to figure out how he did what he did..." Cole half-whispered, leaning forward and cupping a hand over his mouth as he did so. This time Kai _did_ roll his eyes.

"Well, at least some of them are explicable. I mean, he was just sitting behind a billboard when he met me. And we've already learned all the things he did when he rescued and met Kai. Heck, even sitting on the edge of a cliff when he met Cole doesn't sound surprising anymore!" Jay listed.

"Yeah. When he met Nya, though, I could never figure out how he could fight using his shadow. The only logic in that is the fact that Garmaddon's physical energy had been banished to another real. The only way he _could_ show up was in shadow form, but it still doesn't make sense." Kai remembered.

"And it doesn't need to." Wu butt in.

"Maybe not. But you know what _really_ gets me?" Cole clasped his hands for exaggeration, the others waiting for him to continue.

"How did he manage to pour _tea_ ," He paused. " _Underwater?!"_ The group burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the thought. They'd given up on trying to explain _that one_ a long time ago.

"Heh, sorry my 'how I met Sensei' story can't be as interesting as any of yours. He's my Uncle. I've known him for pretty much as long as I can remember. I'm told I first met him during a rainstorm when I was only two. My Mom was on the way from Ninjago City to her own home, which was outside the city. It got stormy enough that she had to find a place to stop, and it just happened to be my uncle's home that was closest." Lloyd explained.

"Not quite. That was our second encounter, and you were only a year old, not two." Wu said. He was walking slightly behind the group, but walked forward now to join the conversation. As he did so, the ninja watched him eagerly, wanting to hear more.

"I met you, Lloyd, on the day you were born. You most certainly shouldn't be able to remember that, and your mother likely doesn't remember either. Misako was very drowsy that day, and hardly remembers getting up that morning. I was there to support her, as was my brother."

"Huh. I never knew." Lloyd said thoughtfully.

"No, I wouldn't expect you to. It was only weeks after your birth that Garmaddon was overwhelmed by the venom running through his veins which turned him evil. But if you were to ask him, he would remember that day just as vividly as I."

"That's... kind of cool, actually." Lloyd decided.

Before anyone else could comment or bring up another story, Wu walked up and stood right beside Zane.

"Zane, may I speak with you a moment?" He asked. It sounded like a rhetorical question, but Zane nodded anyway. Wu gestured to the space ahead of the still chattering group, and the two sped up a little, out of earshot of the others.

"Is something the matter, Sensei?" Zane asked. He held a genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"No, no." Wu responded. A troubled look remained in the old Master's expression, but he continued anyway.

"I heard earlier that you wanted to speak with me?" He asked, sounding uncertain.

"Ah- Yes, I did." Zane said, quietly. Wu turned to him expectantly, and Zane began to explain how odd he thought the behavior of the ninja that morning had been. They'd been so insistent on everything.

Wu, in response, explained the same thing that Nya had earlier.

"Yesterday was a very busy day. Perhaps you will recall how late we returned? You were awake latest. Your brothers have been hyper-aware of your state of wellbeing as of late because of your reaction to your father's death. I believe they were simply being overprotective."

"I... suppose. It makes sense. I still wonder, though, why are we picnicking today? Would not next Saturday have been better?" Zane responded.

"I have plans for next weekend. This Saturday was more convenient due to the fact that not one of us has outside plans." Wu explained.

"How did you know?" Zane turned his head curiously.

"Zane, when you get to be as old as I am, you tend to become far more observant of the actions of those around you." Wu said simply. Zane opened his mouth to say something back, a confused expression already on his face, but Wu stopped suddenly, folding his hands behind his back and looking up at something. Zane followed his gaze, catching sight of a massive tree a bit off to the side of the trail. It looked to be an Oak tree, and it absolutely towered over the two, its leaves and bark very healthy, rich colors. Zane looked at it, half in awe, and smiled gently.

"Here we are!" Wu declared. "Now, who has the basket?" He turned around, looking at Zane, who shook himself out of his awe, expectantly. Zane looked about himself briefly before shrugging.

"I believe Kai was the one who had it last." He said. As he turned around to call Kai, however, the red ninja was nowhere to be found. In fact, _none_ of the ninja could be seen, Nya included.

"Where-?" Zane uttered the unfinished, unanswered, question. He began to turn back to Wu but gasped as he was _tackled_ to the ground.

Zane struggled, wiggling between the surprisingly strong arms of Wu himself. He looked up at the old master with shocked and questioning eyes. _What's happening?!_ Was the unspoken question.

"Forgive me, Zane." Wu said. As he pressed Zane more firmly in place, he pulled open the panel on the Nindroid's chest, which only proved to cause Zane more panic.

"Sensei- What are you- Ow!" Zane yelped when Wu reached in at the left of where his belly button would have been and grabbed onto something, pulling the item out roughly. Several wires, which were previously attached to whatever her'd pulled out, broke off and snapped back into their place in Zane's abdomen, causing him to yell out.

As Zane continued to struggle, Wu reached back at the broken wires and did his best to twist the broken ends together, knowing full well that Jay or Nya could create a more permanent fix later. One wire, two wires, three, four, five, repaired. Zane jerked painfully with each one, but as Wu got to the sixth and last one, Zane let out another shout, then froze suddenly.

As the last wire was put back after being repaired, Zane completely calmed, going limp in Wu's grasp. He stopped struggling altogether and leaned back against the ground. His face became blank and his vision going white.

-LizzyLucky

Here's where the REAL *dun dun duuuuuun!* sets in. The ninja are all missing and Wu attacks Zane? Y'all better leave reviews goin' "OMG WTF just happened the ninja all gone away and WU ATTACKS Zane? THE WORLD WILL END D: D: D: D: D: D:"

Truth be told, I don't really expect anyone to be quite that far on the edge of their seats, cuz even though I know I'm a fairly good author, I also know that there are many terms by which I would be considered an amatuer, so I can only really hope that I'm making good progress in my skills. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Stick around and please, please, please, PLEASE, tell me what you think!

-LizzyLucky


	10. Remembering

Okay, THIS chapter is what makes me excited, trust me. It took me an accumulative of 6 hours to write, four of which were spent back to back with literally no break, resulting in me not going to be until 2:30 in the morning, so I worked freaking hard on this chapter, and I hope you guys appreciate it because it's supposed to answer most of the questions that I created from earlier in the story, such as the unfiinished letter Zane finds and the piece of the will Wu gets.

-LizzyLucky

 _Zane stood outside the door of his father's workshop in the birchwood forest. It was snowing lightly, the sky completely white with winter clouds. He knocked three times, waiting as several clatters were heard inside._

 _The door creaked open to reveal Dr. Julien, smiling gleefully._

 _"Ah! Zane! I'm so glad you could make it!" He grinned, opening his arms and rushing forward to hug Zane._

 _"Of course, father! You said it was important." Zane, though delighted to be meeting with his father, held a more serious air about him._

 _"Yes, yes, I did. Please, step inside!" Dr. Julien insisted, stepping aside and opening the door farther. Zane nodded and walked in through the door, looking around at the recently cleaned home._

 _"Now, if you'll just follow me down to my workshop, Zane, I have something very important to discuss with you." Dr. Julien said, clasping his hands. He still held a positive tone, but something in his expression faltered slightly, like he was worried, or nervous._

 _"Is something the matter?" Zane asked worriedly, following his father down the long, winding staircase. As they reached the bottom, Zane took note of the multiple blueprints scattered about the work desk in the corner of the room. There were pencils and erasers and measuring tools of all sorts strewn about._

 _Typically, especially for an inventor, this wasn't an odd thing, but his father tended to get messier and messier when he was really involved in a project. Based on the scrap metal, paper, tools, and many, many presumed prototypes sitting around the desk, Zane guessed that this was one of those projects. He chuckled a little, a fondness for his father's passion showing itself._

 _As he turned to look around the room further, he was surprised a little to see Wu standing in the opposite corner of the room._

 _"Nothing is wrong, quite, Zane, but this is a very serious matter, and it requires your full attention." Dr. Julien said, walking to stand beside Wu, who looked somewhat unsure of himself._

 _"I understand." Zane replied, not sure what else to say._

 _"Good. Very good, actually. Before we get started, I need you to understand just a few critical things." The tinkerer paused, watching Zane. "First, when we are finished, you will leave with no memory of what we did."_

 _Zane nodded, an uneasiness settling in his stomach. Dr. Julien eyed him, then continued._

 _"Second, I need you to remain as calm as you can be while we discuss the situation."_

 _Zane nodded again._

 _"And third, know that everything we do today..." Dr. Julien paused a moment._

 _"...is out of love for you. Understand, Zane?"_

 _Once more, Zane nodded, curiosity and worry suddenly very intense in his gut._

 _Surprising him, Dr. Julien started laughing._

 _"Relax, Zane! Yes, this is a serious matter, but we aren't doing anything illegal!"_

 _Zane's eyes widened slightly before he realized how stiff he'd gotten and he chuckled lightly with his father. Even Sensei Wu smiled a little. Dr. Julien took a breath and calmed himself, turning back to Zane._

 _"Now, Zane, I need you to come to terms with something with me. You understand how old I am growing, yes?" Dr. Julien's tone of voice went very quickly from being almost bubbly to be being more solemn. Zane, in response, frowned and looked at Dr. Julien worriedly. Slowly, he nodded._

 _"Good. It is a hard thing to accept, but I will not live forever. I am nearing my 80's now, and I cannot say how much longer I will be here."_

 _Zane nodded, looking at the ground._

 _"I could be here for as little as two months. Or I may even last another ten years. And then again, I could just as easily lose my life today. I am simply getting too old, and the conditions of that tower I lived in were too poor. Not to mention my family history of having heart issues. I expect that, one day, these things will catch up to me, and my body will not be strong enough to withstand them." Dr. Julien explained._

 _"I understand." Zane said quietly._

 _"Good. I'm sorry to grieve you with these things, but the topic of your required presence has to do with this. Admittedly," Dr. Julien paused, chuckling to himself, "I am a terrible procrastinator. I am as old as I am, and I have yet to write my will."_

 _Zane looked up at him curiously, apparently not expecting this news. In the background, Wu smiled amusedly to himself._

 _"I know that most have been known to write their wills personally, on their own, but I also feel that I wouldn't be able to include you adequately without your help. Now, before you say anything about it, yes, I do need your help with certain details, but the biggest matter at hand is a very specific piece of the will I indtend on passing to your teacher, Wu, but it needs your approval."_

 _"My approval? What is it?" Zane, his curiosity piqued, took a few steps forward, glancing around._

 _"Ah, yes, heh, this is where I am uncertain." Dr. Julien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Zane, when I die, what will you do?" He asked, very seriously. To Zane, it sounded more... rhetorical. But the expression on his father's face said otherwise._

 _"I... Don't know. I cannot be sure. The first time I discovered the treehouse, and my memory switch, I relived everything I grew up with. I was sad, but I felt at peace because I finally knew where'd I'd come from, who my family was. And I'd made a family out of my Sensei, and my fellow students." Zane gave Wu a warm smile, which Wu returned fondly. "The difference now is that I already have that peace, and I've bonded with you enough to call you my father. It would be the same for me as if Kai, or Jay, or even Sensei Wu, had died. I do not think I would bear it well." He finished explaining. He grabbed onto his arm, rubbing it slightly as a nervous habit._

 _"Perfect!" Dr. Julien exclaimed, surprising Zane, who gave him an absolutely flabbergasted look._

 _"Ah, yes, I know, but this is exactly what I was expecting you to say. You're right that we can't be sure as to how you will react, but I myself am fairly certain as to where it may go."_

 _Zane looked at him, both confused and eager._

 _"I believe you will feel as though you no longer have a family. Being your creator, I am technically your only living relative. You've never met my parents, obviously, and I never had any brothers or sisters, so you can't really say that you had grandparents or aunts, uncles, cousins, the like. Put simply, when I die, you will be an orphan once more, and, like you said, I don't believe you will handle it very well." Dr. Julien rubbed his chin, thinking hard._

 _"Okay... How, specifically, is this relevant to the separate piece of the will you mentioned?" Zane asked, a genuine curiosity bubbling in his voice. Wu half-chuckled behind Dr. Julien._

 _"Knowing, at least thinking, that you will feel alone after such an event, I believe that," He paused, biting his finger as he tried to think of the proper words, "You will be in need of a new father-figure."_

 _Zane, taken aback by his creator's words, almost stumbled backward a step, suddenly feeling that he knew what would be said next._

 _"A new..." He started, trailing off. The look Dr. Julien gave him said that he probably sounded distant or anxious. He looked between Dr. Julien and Wu multiple times, feeling somewhere between flustered and... something else, completely unidentifiable. He couldn't tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one, whether he was shocked or simply unprepared, but regardless, it was probably the most bizzare emotion he'd ever felt._

 _"Yes, I know." Dr. Julien scratched the back of his head, wearing the kind of expression you expect when you hear the phrase 'nervous laughter.'_

 _"It's a bit... drastic sounding, I'm sure, but after giving it some thought, I'm more than certain that this is what I want to do. You and Wu are already so close and have a very family-like bond already. I could see it that first day you discovered me in that tower. Maybe not quite a traditional father-son bond, but many of your own traits, as well as Wu's, are untraditional anyway. By the way that you tell me of your teacher, I believe Wu would not only serve as an ideal Sensei to you, but also as an ideal father-figure." Dr. Julien explained._

 _Zane looked around the room, suddenly very focused on taking in every little detail. Aside from the mess around the inventor's desk, to his right, he could turn and see the stairwell's end just behind him, and took note of how Dr. Julien stood about 7 feet in front of him, facing his direction. Wu stood another couple feet behind that, and off to the right, just a bit. It was as his eyes traveled the room that Zane realized how uncomfortable all three of them looked in the situation. Why did such a matter have to be so flustering?_

 _"Zane?"_

 _He shook himself out of his mini-stupor and looked up, realizing that his father stood much closer to him now, a hand extended to touch his shoulder._

 _"I need to know what you think." Dr. Julien stated, almost flatly._

 _"I don't know. I don't know what I think. Or how I feel about it. It isn't a bad feeling, though." Zane decided._

 _"That's okay. Of course! Believe it or not, son, you're handling it much better than I'd anticipated." Dr. Julien smiled warmly, pulling his hand off Zane's shoulder._

 _As he said that, though, Zane was hit with the realization of just how good it felt to be called 'son.' It wasn't something he heard very often, and he didn't need it to be, but it brought down the full force of the fact that, despite him being a robot- rather, a Nindroid, he was just as much Dr. Julien's son as any other boy was his own father's. And so it was that Dr. Julien was just as much a father to Zane as any other man was to his son._

 _Zane couldn't really say what came over him exactly, but he suddenly felt a surge of pride and fondness for his father, and the very idea of the tinkerer passing away, as they'd been discussing for a while now, suddenly became much heavier a load on him than it had ever been before._

 _Without even thinking about it, Zane grabbed onto Dr. Julien's retreating hand, causing him to look back up at Zane's face. He was a little bit bewildered to see Zane's eyes brimming with tears and his face reflecting almost that of betrayal. Zane, admittedly, was just as bewildered, not really knowing why he was suddenly so upset. Yet what really surprised the both of them was when Zane found himself leaning forward and wrapping around Dr. Julien in a massive hug, holding on like his life depended on it._

 _Dr. Julien took a step back, arms floating at his sides for a moment, completely unsure, before he realized what was happening and wrapped his arms around Zane, returning the hug full-heartedly._

 _"I'm not going anywhere yet, I promise. And even when I do, I won't ever stop being your creator or father, Zane." Dr. Julien reassured. Zane, in response, tightened his embrace._

 _As the moment ended, the two pulled apart and Dr. Julien placed one hand on each of Zane's shoulders._

 _"All we need is to know whether or not you're okay with this. I will always be your father, but you have to be able to turn to someone when I'm not here, and I know full well by now that you won't do that unless you have someone you can feel comfortable confiding in. Please, Zane. I want to do everything I can to make sure that you're not left feeling alone when I can't physically be here for you anymore." Dr. Julien gave him a pleading look, searching Zane's expression. Zane, having recomposed himself now, closed his eyes and took in a large breath, letting it out slowly as he thought hard about the situation._

 _After a long moment, he opened his eyes, determination filling them._

 _"Okay."_

 _Dr. Julien looked incredulous for a flash of a second, almost like he wasn't expecting that answer, but quickly replaced the expression with a large grin, turning to look at Wu, who looked both relieved and ecstatic over the situation. The difficult part of the situation was over!_

 _While it seemed like things were done, there were still a few things that needed doing._

 _"And you're certain?" Dr. Julien turned back to Zane, looking him in the eye._

 _"Absolutely." Zane replied, smiling a little._

 _"Oh, this is great!" Dr. Julien clapped his hands together, almost turning back to hug Zane again he was so happy._

 _"Now, I must admit, I had Wu here mainly so he could hear for himself what you decided, and so I could see if you could really be comfortable enough with him to speak your mind. But he also serves one other purpose, and this needs to be done before you leave." Dr. Julien gestured to Wu, turning in a full circle and stopping when he was pointed at his desk, which he walked over to briskly._

 _"Yes?" Zane asked, following behind him._

 _"I- um, I'm afraid you may not like this bit very well. Do you remember what I told you when you came in? The first of three things you needed to keep in mind?"_

 _"I-" Zane was prepared to answer, but had to pause to think, having nearly forgotten. His face dawned with realization, and he continued._

 _"I won't leave with any memory of what we spoke of today." He said, a little more quietly._

 _"Right." Dr. Julien confirmed. "However, something I left out, intentionally, mind you, was that later on, you will be granted access to today's memories. It will be a little bit of a wait, but after my passing, which could be, as I said, anywhere between the next few months or as many as 10 years, you will need to heal to a certain point before I believe you will truly be able to accept Wu as a father-figure. This is why I am writing a separate piece to the will, and will be handing it to him. You won't be allowed to so much as look at this piece, but it will tell Wu how long to wait, and how to know when it is the right time to re-introduce this idea to you." He began to explain._

 _"Which makes sense. I am curious, however, how will you suppress my memories of today until that point?" Zane asked. He looked over Dr. Julien's shoulder, watching as the old man tinkered with one of the many small devices scattered around his desk._

 _"That," Dr. Julien paused, lifting up the object in his hands, "Is where this comes in. The entire point of my, uh, project, here, is for this little trinket, which, if I programmed everything in correctly, will allow me to select a specific point from your past and virtually pause everything in your memory from then up until the moment the device is activated. Does that make sense?" He lifted the device up to eye level, examining it from every angle._

 _"I think so. How does it work?" Zane watched him turn it every which way, blowing dust off it and checking underneath its casing for any damage._

 _"That is where this horrible little piece of plastic and wiring takes its toll. I couldn't come up with very many ways in which I could suspend only a portion of your memory. I couldn't risk causing you to lose all your memory if I'd done something wrong. This was the final design, and it will do what it's intended to do, but it must be installed into your main wiring. And to do so, six of your core wires will have to be severed and integrated into these input and output entries."_

 _At this, Zane's face fell. While it wasn't quite the same as it was for regular people, who didn't HAVE wires, having anything within your body severed wasn't too terrible comfortable. Quite the opposite, actually, especially if he really meant the CORE wires..._

 _"It will take a moment to have the device prepared properly, especially if it has to last until... well, until whenever it is I pass away, which, once again, could be as long as 10 years... You have a few minutes, but now that we have this sorted out, and especially seeing how soon you will need to be at home, resting, it will need to be activated very quickly." Dr. Julien explained. He turned back to his desk, placing the device down and opening a panel on the side of the small object._

 _Zane watched him tinker with it for a few moments, but decided on walking over to Wu. The whole idea was still a little bit awkward, but he had one question in the back of his mind, burning his tongue._

 _"Sense?" He asked as he approached the old Master. Wu turned to him, an unreadable gaze falling on Zane._

 _"Was this... was this something you agreed to personally? I wouldn't feel right if it was something you felt required to do." He said slowly._

 _"Zane, I care for you very much. As do I Kai and Nya, Cole, Jay. You all mean very much to me, and it is just as much in my own interest as it is in your father's to be there for you if something goes wrong." Wu answered, giving Zane a sympathetic look. Zane looked to the side, not sure what needed to be said._

 _"The question, Zane, is whether or not you feel comfortable with me taking on that role. I will never be quite the same as your father. We differ greatly. I cannot provide the same kind of comfort, conversation, support, or any such thing that I know Dr. Julien can. It will be a little different. I agreed because I care for you as both a student and, put simply, as a child. I will always do what I can to be present in any kind of situation. What determines it all is whether you will accept such a presence from me when the time is right." Wu said. Zane looked at him fondly, smile growing somewhat._

 _"Thank you, Sensei." He said respectfully, bowing his head._

 _Contrasting his more serious and responsible tone of voice, Wu suddenly perked up and looked at Zane with faux exasperation._

 _"You are admirable and respectful, Zane. But am I too old for a simple hug?"_

 _Zane blinked a few times, somewhat confused. As he realized that Wu was being sarcastic (something Jay taught him aaaall about), he laughed a little bit, voice slowly rising until his laughter rung more heartily._

 _"Forgive me, Sensei." He said, amusement still in his voice. Then, calming himself somewhat, he added, "I don't think the situation is quite right." He said, deciding with firmity. Wu smiled at him goofily._

 _Before either could continue the situation, Dr. Julien shouted, "HA!"_

 _Zane jumped a little, turning around to find his father holding the same little device, smiling victorious._

 _"I think we are finally ready to get this thing installed." Dr. Julien said. His expression fell a little, but he kept up the positive attitude, walking over to join Zane and Wu, the device, as well as a piece of paper, in hand._

 _"What's-"_

 _Zane meant to ask what the paper was, but, as if on cue, he ended up yawning widely instead, his eyes watering as he moved his hand to cover his mouth. Dr. Julien smiled sympathetically at Zane. He checked his wrist watch, making a 'yikes' face as he read '10:31 P.M..'_

 _As Zane finished his yawn, shaking his head to realert his senses, he tried again._

 _"What is the paper for?"_

 _"This? Ah, yes, I probably should have simply left it on the desk. I pulled it out a few hours ago, before you arrived. It was intended for a letter to send to you, actually, in a few weeks. I have considered creating a second treehouse. It could make for a number of good things. A second workshop, or perhaps to purely be a home, more comfortable than this, or as a fall-back in the case that Ninjago city is attacked again. It would require some work, and seeing as how you won't remember me telling you now, I figured it would be better if I sent my ideas as a letter in a few weeks, when we can discuss it properly. Big news, I'm sure! See, I would like to-" Dr. Julien cut himself off, shaking his head as he realized how side-tracked he would get if he kept going._

 _"Really, there isn't much on it. Aside from 'My Dearest Zane,' as most my letters will introduce themselves. I'll have to finish it tomorrow." Dr. Julien chuckled again, taking a breath and turning a bit so he could lift the device in his hands._

 _"Now, Zane, before you fall asleep in the spot, let's get you situated on a couch or something so we can install this properly. I don't want to sever the wrong wire because you were too tired to stay on your feet. And it's very late. I would assume you'd like to be in bed before you need to be up in the morning, yes?" He laughed again, turning around and walking toward the opposite end of the room at a couch._

 _"Just lay here, if you could." He said, gesturing broadly to the piece of aged furniture. Zane nodded his head, walking hesitantly to the couch and laying down on it._

 _It was at this point, though, that he realized how tired he was. His eyelids became very heavy and the conversation Wu and Dr. Julien started began to simply blur into a bunch of gargled sounds._

 _As his exhaustion finally caught up to him, he could only barely register when the panel on his chest had been flipped open. His father gave him a quick warning before six *snap*s could be heard, followed by six very sharp pains in his lower left abdomen._

 _The same spots continued to ache as the wires were twisted onto some foreign object and everything began to go hazy._

 _Where was he again?_

 _And why did his side hurt?_

 _Was that Dr. Julien standing over him? Or was it Sensei Wu?_

 _No! Wait! It was both! Why were they both here?  
Where was here?_

 _Did it even matter?_

 _And at that, Zane breathed out a sigh, the hazy colors and sounds above him finally fading to black, leaving him in a peaceful, blissful sleep._

 _-LizzyLucky_

 _To be honest, this chapter seems totally awkward to me and a little rushed, despite how long I spent on it. Either way, it is what it is, which is a one-shot, which means I will not be rewriting it or doing any corrections aside from grammar. So that's that. I hope you guys liked it, and I hope I learn enough from what I didn't like to create even better stories in the future! Look for the next chapter, because it's where I start to wrap things up. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!_

 _-LizzyLucky_


	11. Quite Right

Hoo-boy. Don't know how I feel about this one, but all us writers do that, don't we? read it and tell me what you think!

-LizzyLucky

"Here we are!" Wu declared. "Now, who has the basket?" He turned around to look at Zane, knowing full well that the basket was hidden with the ninja. He gave Zane an expectant look as the Nindroid shook himself out of his awe. The tree they stopped at truly was magnificent.

As Zane registered what had been said to him, he looked about himself briefly before shrugging. _He_ didn't have the basket.

"I believe Kai was the one who had it last." Zane said. He turned around to call for Kai, but, as was planned, Kai wasn't there, and neither was anyone else. Wu took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and swallowing. His throat was a dry, and his nervousness was really beginning to show. It was very unlike him. Regardless, as Zane realized everyone was missing, Wu narrowed his eyes, completely focused.

He knew what he had to do.

"Where-?" Zane uttered the unfinished question, to be left unanswered for the moment. He began to turn around, and just as he made eye contact with Wu, he gasped loudly, thoroughly surprised.

Wu had tackled him to the ground. Zane struggled and tried to wriggle away, but Wu was stronger than he looked. Zane looked up at Wu, shock and question in his eyes. _What's happening?!_ Was the unspoken question. Wu scrunched his eyebrows sadly.

"Forgive me, Zane." He said. As he grabbed onto each of Zane's arms, pushing him more firmly in place, he reached for and opened the panel on his chest, proving only to cause Zane more panic.

"Sensei- What are you-"

Wu reached toward the device.

"Ow!" Zane yelped. Wu had grabbed hold of the device placed just to the left of where Zane's belly button would have been, then pulled it out. He flinched at how roughly he had to do it, all the wires it was attached to breaking and snapping back into place. Zane yelled out in pain as the device was disconnected. He would understand, wouldn't he?

Now it was really time to work fast. It was crucial that he got all these wires connected with each other properly as quickly as he could. Zane continued to struggle, completely panicked now, and Wu reached back at the broken wires. He twisted the broken ends together, knowing that Jay or Nya could fix and connect them properly later on.

First wire, done. Zane jerked as the metal ends touched and intertwined.

Second wire, done. Zane jerked again, struggling with all he had.

Third wire, fourth, fifth, all repaired. Zane jerked painfully with each one, but as Wu grabbed the sixth one and twisted the ends together, Zane let out another, more forceful shout, then froze altogether.

He'd done it. Wu relaxed as he watched Zane calm, going limp in his grasp. He stopped struggling and leaned against the ground and his face went blank as his eyes closed.

If he did it right, this meant that Zane was remembering now. That was a good thing!

But Wu felt that it didn't justify everything he had just done.

Slowly, Wu stood up to look at Zane. He almost smiled. Zane looked so innocent when he was asleep, almost child-like. It had been a little while since he'd seen the more positive side of those traits showing through in Zane. It would have to have been…

The day that the device was installed in Zane. Or, perhaps, the morning of the day after that, only hours before he'd received the letter. Oh, how ironic it was! Wu could still remember the conversation so… vividly. It made him both happy and sad at the same time. Dr. Julien had become one of his good friends, and it was very clear how much the man meant to Zane.

' _I could be here for as little as two months. Or I may even last another ten years. And then again, I could just as easily lose my life today.'_

How right he was, though! Had the topic been on something other than the loss of his life, Wu would have thought Dr. Julien's comment funny at this point. He _had_ lost his life that day. And it was very surreal.

After the device had been installed, Zane pretty instantly passed out, exhausted from the day's events. After that, Wu had decided to help Dr. Julien tidy the tree house once more, remaining there for a number of hours. Once things were cleaned up, Dr. Julien was still so excited at how willing Zane had been to go along with his plan that he decided to keep working on other things, Wu being happy to help. For example, or, actually, for the main event, Dr. Julien decided that the unfinished letter he promised to finish writing the following day was something he wanted to work on before going to bed.

Whilst writing this letter, Dr. Julien had to pause, claiming that he suddenly had very bad heartburn. He asked Wu to check a cabinet in his kitchen, which was in another room. Wu ran off quickly to retrieve a medication or a drink of milk or something, and when he had what he was asked to get, he came back to a sight he would never forget. He was alarmed- horrified- to see Dr. Julien collapsed on the floor, chair knocked on its side and papers scattered on the floor around him. The lamp on the desk had been knocked over, the bulb shattered and fizzing with electricity.

What sealed the morbidity of the whole situation was when Wu went to help him up and found that the old man no longer had a heartbeat.

The emergency services couldn't do anything.

And it was just to Wu's luck that it was 1:00 in the morning, thus Zane was too tired to be conscious and know what was happening. The news spread to the Ninjago City Council ridiculously fast, and before Wu had even made it home, a soundfully sleeping and blissfully unaware Zane in his arms, he was met by an official representative from the council who wanted to help in any way he could.

Surprising this representative, Wu actually had a very specific request for him. He wanted a letter sent to Zane about the situation. Dr. Julien had too, but the representative wasn't aware of the fact that Zane was asleep throughout the whole thing. After Wu explained the basis of what happened, it made sense that he would want the news broken to Zane another way.

The format for the letter, as was customary when delivering this kind of news, would include the topic of each letter sent from the person who had died before informing the recipient of the death. One letter, however, would have made Zane far too suspicious. It was one he had received the day before this one, titled 'Very Important Meeting!' Zane's memory had been paused back to the morning of the day he received this letter, up to the evening of the following day when the device was installed.

The last thing Wu wanted was to have to show Zane the memories prematurely. It would have caused more problems than it was supposed to solve.

Hopefully, this would _solve_ a few things.

He remembered the day the letter was sent, too, only a day after Dr. Julien's death. He had avoided Zane most of the day by simply keeping to his room and letting the ninja have the day off. Zane didn't suspect. Through the whole day, he waited anxiously for that letter, unsure of how Zane would react to it. And he remembered having to act surprised when Nya bumped into him and fell to the floor. It took him a moment to realize that she was holding a snowflake adorned piece of paper, folded into thirds. Once he had, though, he had only to hear her out and find Zane.

And though he had to act surprised, he didn't have to act concerned. He cared very much for Zane, and, aside from Dr. Julien, was probably the most father-like person that Zane had ever had, which was precisely why Dr. Julien asked him to take part in his plan.

How long had it been now? Zane had to re-experience those memories, but they should have been… Sped up, almost. Like a dream. To him, he would be re-living the whole, experiencing it second for second, minute for minute, hour for hour. On the outside, it should only take a fraction of that time.

20 minutes, now. Zane was only just beginning to stir, but not wake.

Where would he have been by now? What was he experiencing at this moment?

" _The question, Zane, is whether or not you feel comfortable with me taking on that role. I will never be quite the same as your father. We differ greatly. I cannot provide the same kind of comfort, conversation, support, or any such thing that I know Dr. Julien can. It will be a little different. I agreed because I care for you as both a student and, put simply, as a child. I will always do what I can to be present in any kind of situation. What determines it all is whether you will accept such a presence from me when the time is right."_

Wu remembered, smiling a little. Zane had smiled, too, when he heard Wu explain this. When he referred to Zane as a child, he meant it in a great many of ways. Zane was still so innocent and kind. Physically, too, he was very young. Though Zane said his earliest memory included a very young-looking Dr. Julien, the truth was that the inventor was already well into his 50s. He'd done very well taking care of himself, and took the effort to dye his hair, so he never looked as old as he was. It had taken him many years to learn how to create individual emotions and thoughts for Zane, not to mention all the things he did to make Zane's physical features more human-like. Things like pain, memory, movement, intelligence that wasn't based off a computer… It took him many, many years indeed.

After Zane was built, he ended up putting all his efforts into caring for the Nindroid and following his scientific impulses. He no longer cared about the way his hair looked, or how decently lacking of wrinkles his skin was, only that he was healthy and able so as to watch after Zane.

By the time Dr. Julien passed away, he was in his mid-70s. Zane couldn't be any older than his late teens, just like the other ninja. It was funny, how things worked like that.

And he got along with the other ninja just as he should. He was respectful of them, but liked to play around when he could.

It was things like Zane's stubbornness to fight for his friends and his absolute and pure compassion for others that made him stick out, made him more like a child. Even down to the basics of how he displayed emotion showed just how much he was still growing up.

" _Thank you, Sensei." Zane had replied._

Would Zane still thank him after the time he's had to spend recovering? Would his mindset change?

 _Zane bowed his head respectfully toward Wu._

Wu remembered the conversation, finding himself wanting to follow it. He remembered how his mood had changed multiple times that day. He had been cautious when the idea was introduced to Zane, then delighted when Zane agreed. He was more serious and passionate when Zane asked him about whether or not Wu himself thought it was a good idea. But then...

 _Contrasting his more serious and responsible tone of voice, Wu suddenly perked up and looked at Zane with faux exasperation._

" _You are admirable and respectful, Zane."_

Wu remembered with a smile, rewatching the memory.

" _But am I too old for a simple hug?"_

 _Zane blinked a few times, somewhat confused. As he realized that Wu was being sarcastic (something Jay taught him aaaall about), he laughed a little bit, voice slowly rising until his laughter rung more heartily._

" _Forgive me, Sensei." He said, amusement still in his voice. Then, calming himself somewhat, he added, "I don't think the situation is quite right."_

It was an odd excuse, Wu had decided, but an acceptable one nonetheless. As he let the memory fall away, Wu sighed heavily. Would Zane really accept the idea?

Since Dr. Julien passed away, Zane's been forced through the heartbreak of losing his father, then through being kept secrets from, and in addition was left underneath false impressions, lies, as Wu prepared for this day.

And he felt terrible about the kind of pain he had to put Zane through in order to reactivate these suppressed memories.

He would have wondered as to whether Zane would be mad at him or not, but that was another thing he loved so dearly about Zane. The Nindroid virtually never got angry at anyone for anything, and especially not if it was a matter that couldn't be controlled. He was the one who looked before he leapt, so to speak, and thought things out in a more controlled and matured way. Yet he also expressed how he felt about the situation and tended to seek out help when he didn't know how to react. It was just another thing that made Zane who he was.

Regardless, Wu couldn't help but to feel bad. He was more worried than ever now, knowing full well that Zane would be experiencing the same pain of losing his father all over again when he woke up. In these vivid memories, he would experience the same love he felt for his father that day, hugging his father and speaking with him one more time. It was almost like getting to say his last goodbye, but this time he would be far more aware that the last time he saw his father was really the last time. It would be all the more meaningful to him now, and thus all the more painful to sit up and realize that he would never be able to experience that sort of thing again.

"I'm so sorry, Zane." Wu said, closing his eyes shut. Dr. Julien wouldn't be coming back, and Wu would never be able to be the same _kind_ of comfort to Zane. Even after the whole ordeal, he had trouble believing that Zane would ever truly be able to accept him.

But that most certainly didn't mean he wasn't going to try and be there. Through all the brutal training sessions, farewells, and secrets, everything Wu'd done was to help Zane and the other ninja.

And yet he just felt so worried… And sad. He had to suppress these memories from Zane, he had to make Zane face the pain of loss, he had to keep secrets and tell lies, he had to lead Zane away from safety, trap him, tackle him, cause him pain, just because Dr. Julien wanted Zane to be able to have someone to confide in.

"So, very, sorry." He said quietly, lowering his head.

"Sensei?" A quiet voice asked, groaning. Wu looked up hopefully, seeing Zane half sitting up, leaning back on one of his elbows. He had his other arm lifted up, a hand to his head.

"Zane! You're awake. Are you alright?" Wu asked, rushing to offer a hand. Zane accepted it, pulling himself up. As he got onto his feet, wobbling back and forth a little bit, he reached a hand down to his side, where the device had been.

"Ow…" He moaned.

"I'm sorry, Zane." Wu said apologetically, grabbing gently onto Zane's shoulders to steady him.

"I-it's okay." Zane said, still sounding a bit dazed.

Wu wasn't certain of what to say, not wanting to push at the topic on both their minds.

"What-" Zane started the question, looking very confused, but a look of realization dawned on his face before he could finish.

"I can't believe…" He trailed off.

"Yes. I am quite well aware of how unbelievable the situation sounds." Wu commented, guiding Zane off to the side and to the tree. As Zane thought hard, Wu moved him underneath the shade of the tree, moving his hand so he could lean against the trunk.

"No… That's not it." Zane said suddenly, sounding firm.

"No? Then what is?" Wu asked. He wasn't quite expecting Zane to say what he had.

"Were you given a say in your part of this?" Zane asked very seriously, turning to Wu. A hand still rested on his head.

"Of course, Zane. I was not only willing, but eager to take part." Wu answered.

"Oh."

Wu looked at him worriedly. Was he disappointed?

"What bothers you?" He asked.

"I… don't know." Zane looked at the ground, staring hard.

Wu looked straight ahead, opting to just stand next to Zane.

Zane's expression was that of confusion, realization, and uncertainty. A very unsteady mix, but he also looked determined, like he was trying to make a final decision.

Wu simply sat, willing to accept anything Zane had to say, before thinking of something to say himself.

"I think your father would be proud of how you have progressed. You have found ways to occupy your time and still interact with the ninja on a healthy level. You have managed to increase and maintain your mental and physical health. And I am proud of you also."

Zane's eyes widened slightly and he turned to Wu decisively.

"Sensei…" He started. Wu listened expectantly, turning to face Zane as he spoke.

"I _do_ think the situation is quite right." He said. Wu looked at him confusedly, taking in Zane's groggy state of mind. Zane really was exhausted, still wobbling on his feet and his eyes half lidded. Was he even fully aware of what he was saying? Perhaps it would be best to take him back to the Bounty and confront him tomorrow?

As these thoughts began to race, Wu remembered, once more, something Zane had said to him that day. Something, even, he'd been reflecting on earlier.

' _You are admirable and respectful, Zane. But am I too old for a simple hug?'_

' _Forgive me, Sensei!' Zane laughed. "I don't think the situation is quite right.'_

Surprising Wu out of his thoughts, Zane leaned forward and hugged him firmly, similarly, even, to how he hugged Dr. Julien that same day. A pride for Wu and a gratitude swelled and Zane couldn't have been more happy to know that Wu cared enough for him to take part in making sure he had someone to turn to when things were rough.

-LizzyLucky

Ee-yup. That's the last chapter. I think it's a little abrupt and not quite fitting, but I'll leave that up to you guys to decide. Was it good? Bad? Let me know! Now, real quick, I have **ONE LAST NOTE FOR YOU** :

I have a collection of one-shots I will be posting this entire story on, called **Human - One-Shots Collection**. Go check it out! From there, you can actually **request one-shots via PM or Reviewing on that story!** So go, get to requestin'!

-LizzyLucky


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